


Mail Order Bride

by Chamaelirium



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A side serving of gingerrose, Birth, Correspondence, Description of Birth, Domestic Bliss, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mail Order Bride, Marriage of Convenience, Pregnancy, canonverse but without the Force, farm life, snoke is a bastard in every universe, why do I always go blank when I have to write tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:42:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 60,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chamaelirium/pseuds/Chamaelirium
Summary: When Ben Solo, lonely and searching for companionship, puts an advertisement in the Intergalactic Bazaar, he doesn’t expect anyone to answer it, least of all someone like Rey...This probably never would have been completed without the help of the transcendent and luminous @dyadinbloom. She has made my first experience having a beta as a 100% positive one! This one is for you, Summer!
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rose/Hux
Comments: 174
Kudos: 412





	1. Chapter One

  
Dear Mr Solo,

I am writing to answer your advertisement in the Galactic Post, about your want of a wife. I feel I may be able to recommend myself for the role.  
I am not afraid of hard work, although I have never lived on a farm before, growing up on Jakku. My guardian has me work in the scrapyards, salvaging for scrap metal. I never really learned to cook, but I am a fast learner and I am sure I would pick it up quickly if given the chance.  
I’ve never been to Chandrila -- never really been anywhere but here. I’ve been saving for an off-world ticket for as long as I’ve been able. I hope you will consider me. I promise I won’t be a burden.

Yours truly,  
Rey Niima

Dear Miss Niima,

I was pleased to receive your transmission. I must admit, I didn’t really expect anyone to respond. It’s an unusual enough request that I figured nobody would truly take it seriously. Please allow me to tell you more about myself.  
I was born on Chandrila, thirty cycles ago. My mother was in politics and my father... well, he was many things. I have only owned this piece of land for a couple of years, but I feel like it has the makings of a good farm, and a prosperous homestead. I have built a house here, comfortable enough, although it’s not overly large. If things go well then maybe I can expand in a couple more years. I’d like to know more about you, if you’d be agreeable to writing back.

Sincerely,  
Ben Solo

Dear. Mr Solo,

Thank you so much for writing back to me. I was afraid it was a joke, and I would never hear anything back from you. Chandrila sounds lovely. A traveller passed through here once who had visited there, and he told me about its beautiful green hills and the ocean. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more water in one place than the drinking trough here at the outpost. And that’s always dirty and foul.  
I thought I should tell you a little more about myself. I am twenty cycles old, and well enough looking, I suppose. I have all my teeth and not too many scars. I don’t remember my family, although I must have had one at some point. As I said before, I have been living here my whole life. I work for a man called Unkar Plutt who is the local junk boss. I admit, part of my reason for writing to you, is because I am seeking a reason to escape this life -- and him. Sometimes at night, when I am able to sleep, I dream of oceans of water, and trees, and things I can only imagine.  
I enjoy working with engines of any kind, space-going or land bound, either pulling apart or putting them back together. It’s true I rarely get the chance to do what I love, as working for Mr Plutt takes much of my time.  
I would love to know more of your interests.

Yours faithfully,  
Rey Niima

Dear Miss Nima,

I confess, I am sorry to hear of your situation. It sounds like thankless, difficult work. If you do end up considering my offer, I cannot promise that you would be able to put up your feet for the rest of your life, but at least the work I do here is fulfilling. You do see a reward for it at the end of your day, and knowing that what you are doing is helping to put food on your table first and not lining anybody else’s pockets -- well, I can only speak for myself when I claim satisfaction.  
I have a small property by others’ standards, but it does well enough - I run cattle, selling to the local markets, and grow a number of different foodstuffs. I feel like there may be enough green here to satisfy anyone for a lifetime.  
My family lives in a much larger property to the south, not too close, but close enough for the occasional visit. Some might think I am isolated out here, but we do have neighbours, and I admit I enjoy the silence.  
I hope you are well, Rey. May I call you Rey?

Yours,  
Ben

Dear Ben (As long as I may also call you by your given name),

I think there must be different kinds of solitude. I am also alone much of the time, but it is a difficult, hard loneliness. The heat drives my fellow workers away during the day to seek shade, and at night the cold drives us each to our dwellings. I have my holo-pad, as is obvious by my ability to write to you, and occasionally have reason to speak to those in the trading post who are passing through, but have never really had anyone I could consider a friend.  
Here the silence is hard, and sharp, and hurts after a while. I think I could stand your kind of solitude a lot better than my own.  
But you still have not told me what your interests are! I have told you mine, as few as they are, and it is only fair to return the favour. I do want to know more of you. Or perhaps I am only one of many who have replied to your advertisement and you have to juggle many of us. I hope I have perhaps made an impression on you, despite the possibility.

Sincerely,  
Rey

Dear Rey,

No, there is nobody else. Just you. I was surprised when even you replied, given the odd nature of my request. I don’t want you to think that I am entertaining many ladies with my witty missives; please trust me when I say I am not quick with words and quips. My parents always thought me a serious child, and I suppose it has followed me into adulthood. I don’t take your replies lightly. They mean so much to me.  
As for more about myself -- it is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but I do have one hobby that has carried over from my childhood -- I practice the art of calligraphy. Some may feel that writing by hand has long been obsolete and unnecessary, however I find it ... calming. It is almost like a meditation, like dancing.  
Dancing is something my mother insisted I learn also in my youth; however it’s not something I ever felt very comfortable doing.  
So there you have it -- a glimpse into the person most people don’t know exists. I hope it does not turn you away or disgust you that I have such an archaic hobby, but, I leave my fate in your hands.  
(I am joking, I know it is not that socially unacceptable. It's difficult to convey humour through written words sometimes, ironically.)  
Your letters are becoming a bright point in my day.

Yours,  
Ben

Dear Ben,

I think I can honestly say you would be the first person I have met (although we have not yet met in person!) with that particular hobby! Admittedly, my profession has never left much time for extra activities, and my fellow scavengers are just as busy as I am during our waking hours. The old woman who taught me to read and write when I was small used to teach me after dark, when others were resting. She left me a couple of books when she died, but I don’t have many chances to read these days. I’d love to read some new stories and not just the same ones over again.  
Sometimes I wish I could have had the opportunity to learn some kind of art -- painting, drawing, even making objects out of clay. I’ve spent my whole life taking things apart; I feel like it would be something new and wonderful to learn how to make things instead. This planet is so barren, so bare of life, that I sometimes feel my soul is shrivelling within me, drying up like the flowers that only bloom for a few days after the rains come.  
I’m sorry, it’s one of those days where I can’t find much to be cheerful about.

Yours,  
Rey

Dear Rey,

Tonight the moons are low on the horizon, hazy and swollen in the spring air. It rained earlier this morning, a light shower that washed down the dust before the clouds were chased away by the rising sun.  
The earliest crops are being planted, and the first of the calves are being born, their long, spindly legs awkward as they learn to run beside their mothers, almost as soon as they draw breath. Fruit trees in my orchard are blossoming, and the smell as it wafts towards the back porch is enough to make your knees weak. There are insects everywhere in great clouds, gathering and spreading pollen. It is so thick in the air that sometimes it looks like golden mist floating through the trees.  
I am sitting outside, watching the moons rise, and I confess I find myself thinking of you. I hope this has given you a glimpse of a different world for a short while; allowed you to dream of a world less desiccated and dry. It allows me to dream that perhaps you might be sitting here with me, one day.

Yours  
Ben

Dear Ben,

Thank you so much for your last letter. I confess, I did not feel like doing much of anything for a time. It’s not something I can afford for long, as there is always work to be done, and food to earn. However, your words were like a breath of cool air. I could almost taste them, like drinking from a spring of fresh water.  
Is it too much to admit that I also often think of you, too? I wish I could speak with you like this in person. I am hoping that the galaxy will show me a way, soon.

Yours, truly,  
Rey

———————————————-


	2. Chapter Two

Ben pulled off his goggles and squinted down the length of the Main Street. He parked his speeder on the edge of town and walked the rest of the way to the trading post, intending to pick up supplies. He had been putting it off for a few days longer than was wise, and now was in dire need of several items. He had been distracted, unsettled, and unfocused this last week. If he was to examine his thoughts for the reason why, he would have landed on Rey. 

Rey, whose letters had become the high point of his weeks, who he had hoped would feel the same way about him, and who he also hoped would remember the reason for writing to him in the first place -- that he was in want of a wife, a helpmate, a friend. Rey, who had written nothing back to him after her last letter, which had arrived more than two weeks ago. The silence was unsettling, and Ben had sent several messages, the last one unable to hide his concern.

Part of his unease was due to his worries that Rey may have changed her mind about... well, about him. Had he written something wrong, insulted her in some way, or perhaps frightened her off? He had read through their correspondence painstakingly, trying to see if he could decipher what may have happened.

Everything had seemed well enough, though perhaps he should not trust his perception when it came to matters of the heart. Maker knew, he had little enough experience with women, aside from those in his family that he had grown up with.

_Power converters. Energy packs. Mineral booster. Pest dip for the cattle._

_Socks._

Ben ran through his shopping list in his head, mentally calculating how many credits it would take, and where he was going to store everything on the speeder to carry it home. He did his errands methodically, stopping for a moment to chat with each trader he dealt with. He was not much for long conversation, but made sure that he kept up a good relationship with those he encountered. If those conversations never dipped beneath the surface of who he truly was, that was because he kept them there intentionally, skimming over the surface like flies over a pond.

Few knew that the quiet, tall farmer from south of town, the son of Han Solo, was a deep, sensitive soul. He was a poet, a dreamer, and a romantic. In his heart of hearts he longed for love, for a kindred spirit to share his life with. He had never come across anybody in this small settlement who touched his spirit in any way, which is why he had placed the advertisement in the Intergalactic Bazaar. Knowing his was simply one of thousands that were posted every day, he hadn’t held out much hope of anyone replying to him -- until Rey.

He stopped, mid-browse amongst the shelves of the slightly dusty trading post, staring off into nothing. Her correspondence had become the bright point of his week, and the sound his data pad made when he received a new transmission from her was like birdsong to his heart. He didn’t even know why he felt such things. Surely it was ridiculous, to imagine that a complete stranger might be the person who could understand him, who could complete that other part of him that he had felt was missing his whole life.

Tucking several pairs of new socks under one arm, he ambled slowly towards the front counter. Set out on its top were several small holoprojectors, showing examples of what may or may not have been “the latest fashions straight from the core planets”. Ben set down his purchases as he watched the tiny, blue-tinted holographic women of various species twirling and pouting as their outfits called for.

One caught his eye - it was a slim, tall woman in a long, flowing dress. It appeared to be made of some fine, floral material, and flowed around her ankles as she twirled. Ben found himself mesmerised, and when the shopkeeper cleared his throat to get Ben’s attention, he spoke without looking up.

“Uh, do you have one of these in stock?” He pointed to the small, twirling lady. The shopkeeper grunted a little in surprise, enough that Ben turned to look at him sheepishly. “It’s a gift, for... a friend.” he felt the heat rising in his face at those words, and how ridiculous they seemed.

The shopkeeper raised one eyebrow knowingly, and simply asked, “And what size would your friend be?” Ben was perplexed. He had no idea what Rey even looked like, or why he had been suddenly possessed with the idea to buy a dress for her. He stuttered and fumbled his way through an explanation, ending with the shopkeeper shaking his head and walking into the back storage room, returning with a small, compact parcel, wrapped simply in paper. “Keep your record of purchase, and if it doesn’t fit, you can return it for the right size. Provided it hasn’t been worn around the farm first.” He chuckled at his own joke, as though imagining Ben himself doing farm work with the dress on, and Ben felt his face heating even further.

Finalising his payments, he tucked everything under his arm and headed back out onto the street, intending nothing more than to load up the speeder and leave town as quickly as possible. He was so distracted that at first he didn’t hear the gruff voice calling his name in Shyriiwook.

“Ben. Ben!” It belonged to Chewie, the tall, gangly Wookie who was more an uncle to him than his own uncle. “Called your name for half a block. Lando wants to see you.” He caught up with Ben and ruffled his hair with one massive paw.

“Hey, Uncle Chewie. What does he want?”

The Wookie shrugged. “Beats me. Said it was for your ears only.”

“Well...” Ben hesitated, torn between the desire to leave and get back to his quiet farm, and curiosity as to what Lando could possibly want with him. Lando ran the only hotel in town, which was also the only multi-storey building in the whole place, and could be seen from everywhere.

“Alright then, I’ll go see what he wants. Give my love to Maz.” The Wookie warbled in assent and ambled off about his own business. Being closer to the hotel than his speeder, Ben simply tucked his parcels a little closer to his body and strode over, determined to complete his business quickly.

As he entered the building, he saw Lando speaking with one of his staff behind the desk, whispering furtively to each other, hands waving in the air. As he saw Ben his eyes lit up, and he strode out towards him, one hand outstretched. Ben took it, mechanically shaking it.

“Ben! Just the man I wanted to speak to. I need your help solving a mystery.”

“Uh, are you sure I’m the person you want for that? I’m no good at puzzles, you should know...” Lando broke into laughter at that comment, winking at him.

“Not that kind of mystery, Solo. You’re always so straightforward, like your dad.” Ben waited for him to get to the point. “Truth is, there’s someone who has been staying here for a day or so now, who you might know. Claims to know a ‘Ben’ anyhow, and you’re the only one around here I know. Are you expecting a visitor from off-world?”

Ben’s brow furrowed in confusion. Nobody that he knew of was coming to visit, at least not that his parents had warned him of. Leia was retired and living some miles from his property on her own farm, and she and Han still had semi-regular visitors, friends from her years in politics, and so on. Usually they were no concern of his, and he knew few of them personally. Certainly, almost nobody he had known off-planet knew his real name, and he had worked very hard to keep it that way.

“Young woman, very rough looking, she may have hitched a ride on a junker by the look of her. Paid in unmarked credits, didn’t give her name. She’s holed herself up in her room, hasn’t come out for meals or anything, only came down to the desk once to ask where “Ben” lived.”

Ben’s heart jumped a little at the mention of a young woman. Surely not? Surely she wouldn’t have come, all this way and with no warning, to try and find him?

“Lando, can you show me where her room is? I’ll talk to her if you like, see if I know her.” Lando smiled gratefully, and led the way down the hall and up stairs. At the end of the hall he knocked once, twice, on the door, and waited for a response. After a moment it came.

“Who is it?” came a timid voice.

“Master Calrissian, miss. I found someone who might be able to help you find who you’re looking for.” He winked at Ben, and they waited as the door swung open, slowly, carefully, as though the person behind it was afraid of what they might find on the other side.

Ben saw two hazel green eyes, peering around the edge of the door, a tan, freckled face, and light brown hair, tied back behind her head. Their eyes caught, and they stared at each other, unable to look away. Ben felt something tugging at his heartstrings, some persistent thought or feeling that was nagging him to pay attention to it. Suddenly he knew.

“Rey?” 

______________________________


	3. Chapter Three

Ben sat, his parcels piled haphazardly on the table in the hotel’s dining room. He didn’t know what to do with his arms or legs, and most importantly, didn’t know what to do about the fact that Rey was sitting across from him, looking almost as awkward and uncomfortable as he felt. 

She was here! Not half a galaxy away, writing to him from a hot desert planet, but here. On his planet, in his town, within reach if only he could bring his arms to move in the right direction for once. All he could do was fidget with his parcels, moving them a little from side to side, unable to meet her eyes as sudden shyness overwhelmed him.

Lando had sat the two of them down, once Ben had stumbled his way through a kind of explanation, and had bustled off to get his cook to make some food for them, giving them space to talk to each other. 

“Rey,” he began, just as she spoke. 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t...” They both trailed off, unsure of who should go first. In the end, Ben indicated with his hands that she should speak. 

“I know I’ve just turned up, with no warning or anything, but I just... I couldn’t do it anymore.” She looked at the table once more, and Ben cleared his throat, trying to think of the right thing to say. 

“Did something happen, Rey?” She looked up at his soft words, and nodded once, her eyes growing suspiciously bright.

“I heard Plutt talking one night, with some men who had come to the outpost. They were looking for... girls. I guessed what they meant.” Her cheeks flamed, but she continued, “I don’t usually care what people like that want, but Plutt mentioned my name, and told them he’d show them where I live for the right price...” her voice choked to a halt, and she stared down at her lap, hands fisted together on the table before her. 

Ben had felt something dark rise up inside him at her words, and for a moment he struggled with it, keeping it at bay, before he reached over instinctively and put one hand over hers. It covered both of hers, and at the contact they both jumped. It was like touching a live wire. She looked up, startled, and Ben could see the tears that had escaped. 

“Rey, I’m so sorry. If I had known, I could have... well, I don’t know, to be honest.” He laughed, a soft, mortified huff. “I suppose there wasn’t much I could have done from here. How did you get here in the first place?”

Rey smiled a little at this, and it was like sun peeking through a small break in the clouds. “I had some money saved towards an off world ticket, as I told you. I might have acquired the rest from Plutt’s office while he was otherwise occupied.” Ben couldn’t find it in himself to be shocked at her actions. She had simply been doing what she had to, to survive. 

While she spoke, a droid waiter loaded down with two plates came trundling over to them. Ben was forced to let go of Rey’s hand as he retrieved the meals, placing them on the table. At the sight of food something changed in Rey’s face -- a kind of yearning appeared in her eyes -- although Ben could tell she was trying not to show it. 

“Rey,” Ben waited till she looked at him, “when is the last time you ate?” 

‘Well... the ship I came out on was a cargo freighter, and the captain didn’t usually take on passengers, so there were only rations there, but he gave me a whole portion every day!” She sounded pleased with this, and Ben could only wonder what kind of life she’d had where one serving of rationed, dehydrated food a day was a good thing.

“Since coming here I haven’t had much, because I’d used almost all my credits on passage, but, well...” Rey seemed to notice the distress in Ben’s eyes, and hurriedly went on. “It’s alright, it really is! I’m used to it, I’m fine.” Ben allowed his eyes to rove over her. She was lean and wiry, her clothes little more than rags in desert shades, and Ben saw that she leaned to the uncomfortable side of thin. His fists, now balled in his own lap, clenched at the thought of her going hungry. Taking a deep breath through his nostrils to calm his thoughts, Ben offered a smile. 

“Well, you’re here now, and we’ll make the best of it. The food’s good; I can vouch for the cook myself. Help yourself.” He indicated the plate in front of her, but noticed that she still hesitated. He shrugged a little, picking up his own utensil and starting to eat. Rey watched carefully, and he saw her reach out to pick up her fork, holding it as though she had never touched one before. 

She probably hasn’t, he thought with a pang, and smiled encouragingly, scooping food into his mouth and nodding as she hesitantly did the same. They ate mostly in silence, and Ben could tell that Rey was holding herself back. She occasionally forgot to use the fork and grabbed something with her fingers, shoving it quickly into her mouth until she seemed to realise what she was doing. Then she would wipe her fingers on the tablecloth, clothing, anywhere, and pick up the fork again, eating with one eye on Ben and the other on her plate. 

The meal finally finished, they sat in silence now, staring at each other from across the table. Neither seemed to know if they should speak first, and after a while, Ben was the first one to break the silence. 

“Rey... I’m glad you’re here. Please believe me when I say I am. I’m just not sure... what we should do now.” Rey’s face coloured at his words, and she looked down to her hands that were clasped tightly together in her lap. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you -- Plutt took my holo-pad and I couldn’t write to you, so I ran with whatever credits I had. I thought the whole time I was travelling, that maybe you wouldn’t want me,” she was still staring into her lap intently, but Ben didn’t miss the two great tears that fell onto her hands. 

Immediately he was moving around the table to kneel at her feet, carefully taking her hands into his. Her head jerked up at the contact and she looked into his face, which was now level with her own. 

“Rey, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. You’re safe now, I promise. He’s not here and he’ll never find you again.”

She bit her lip at his words, trying to force the tears back, and breathed in slowly, shakily. 

“You don’t,” Rey paused, uncertain of the words she would say next, “you don’t have to... marry me. You know. Just because I came here.”

Ben squeezed her hands gently, and she looked into his eyes, and could have sworn they were wet. 

“Rey, I think,” now it was his turn to pause, wanting to form the next words right, “I think any two people in the galaxy, if they are willing, have just as good a chance as any to make a marriage, a partnership work, as anyone does. If we both have the same goals, and want the same thing, then I think,” his throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously, “I think there’s no reason we couldn’t make it work, together.”

_______________________________


	4. Chapter Four

_“I think there’s no reason we couldn’t make it work, together.”_

At Ben’s words, the dam burst, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Rey’s head bowed and she allowed herself to cry in earnest, for the fear and the uncertainty and hardships that she had gone through. Cry with the relief that this person, this near stranger who she found herself caring for just a bit too much for, seemed willing to accept her, to take her in, and even to give her the chance to maybe, just maybe, find love.

She had been tightly wound for so long, more so from the first moment she had overheard Plutt talking to the slave traders about her, and she had begun to plot her escape. She hadn’t even had time to really pack anything, taking only a little food and what meagre underthings she owned in her satchel. She had purchased a ride on the first junk trader that was leaving the surface, wrapping her face and figure as best she could in rags to hide who she was.

Rey had been crammed into the cargo hold with heaps of stinking, rusting metal and barrels of something that made her choke when she smelled them. She had eaten sparingly, not knowing how long the journey was going to take. The gruff junker had left her at a spaceport and she had been forced to resort to stealing credits from a shopkeeper to barter passage on another ship heading in the direction of Chandrila.

Even once she reached the planet’s surface, her journey had not been easy. She had hitched rides, snuck onboard transports, and then walked the last part into town. And then had no way to contact Ben, no way to know if he truly lived here, if he had even been telling the truth about who he was. After all, he was a stranger, and she had no assurance that the person she had been writing to was even who they claimed to be.

After days, weeks in fear, now she was here -- sitting in a chair before this quiet, kind, giant of a man, weeping as he held her hands in his and promised that he would give her a chance, the one she had been wanting her whole life.

That she would no longer be alone. And neither would he.

As her tears dried and her sobs lessened, she became aware that Ben’s thumb was gently stroking its way back and forth across the back of her hand. Their entwined hands were damp with the tears that had fallen, and it felt like a baptism, like a new beginning. Impulsively, she leaned forward and quickly, shyly, kissed the back of his hand.

His breath sucked in sharply, and she looked up, afraid that he had been offended by her action, but she only saw his slightly open mouth, a look of wonderment on his face, in his soft, brown eyes. Then he smiled, a shy, crooked smile, that tipped one side of his mouth and gave a fleeting glimpse of a dimpled cheek.

“Well then, Rey, shall we?” He stood to his feet, still holding Rey’s hands, encouraging her to stand with him. She did gladly, if a little wobbly, still reeling somewhat from the series of intense emotions she had been feeling. He didn’t let her go entirely, as she expected he would, but wove the fingers of one hand through hers, holding her tightly.

Collecting the packages that he had stacked on the table before they ate was awkward with only one arm, but he didn’t let go once. Together they walked out of the restaurant, and into the hotel lobby, where Rey missed the meaningful nod Ben gave to Lando, and the slightly incredulous look the older man returned to him.

“Rey,” Ben was speaking quietly to her, and she had to crane her head slightly towards him to hear, “would you like me to help you collect your things?” Realising she didn’t want him to see the mess she had likely left behind, Rey shook her head quickly. 

“It’s alright, I’ll get everything myself.” He looked as if he would protest for a moment, but when he looked at her face intently, and no doubt noticed the red that Rey felt creeping up her cheeks, he simply nodded, releasing their hands with that same gentle smile. Rey didn’t know why she suddenly felt bereft. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

He nodded, and she ran for the staircase, thumping up the stairs two at a time in her hurry to get everything. Part of her brain teased her, tormented her with the possibility that he wouldn’t be there when he returned, just like... she refused to touch that old pain, putting it away for another time. He would be there. He promised.

She grabbed her few things, shoving them into her bag, and tried to straighten the room a little. The blankets had to be scooped up from the floor where she had dumped them, uncomfortable with sleeping on such a soft surface as the mattress. Her whole life had been spent on hard, unyielding surfaces and her body was accustomed to that. She had used the ‘fresher only for basic ablutions, unused to having water in abundance and available for something as frivolous as bathing. Old habits would likely die hard. One final look around the room and she paused, taking a deep breath, before taking her staff, the last thing by the door, and walking back out of the room. ___________________________________________________________

“So, Ben, let an old man in on the secret. Who is the young lady?” Ben had been busy while Rey packed, paying the bill for their meal and for her stay, knowing the questions would come. Even now, he didn’t quite know how to answer them. His mouth quirked a little.

“I think, my wife?”

“Your wife? You think?” In all the years of knowing Lando, who had been as much an uncle to Ben as Chewie was in many ways, he didn’t think he’d ever seen him look this flummoxed. “Are you sure? She looks like she blew in off a junk freighter somewhere?”

“I mean, that’s kind of how it went, to be honest. Listen, it’s sort of... complicated. Just trust me; I know what I’m doing here.” Did he? Part of Ben wondered at the turn of events that had taken place today, and whether anything he was doing was even sane. “Just, do me a favour -- please, don’t tell mom and dad.” Lando was forced to chuckle a little at this, shaking his head.

“You know me too well, Ben. Alright, I promise, on one condition -- that you tell them yourself. There’s every chance of gossip reaching them beforehand, even without my help.” Ben nodded a little grimly, knowing how folk in this small town loved to talk.

“Don’t worry, I definitely will. Sometime.” They were interrupted by the clatter of boots coming down stairs once more, and as Rey came into view, Ben was surprised at the look on her face. Relief warred with surprise, and Ben wondered if she had thought he would be gone. That only strengthened his resolve and he went forward, reaching for her hand with his own, weaving his fingers with her once more.

The look on her face was wonderful to behold as she went from surprise to elation, her eyes sparkling and the most breathtaking smile Ben had ever seen in his life, stretching across her face. Kriff. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop towards the floor, and his heartbeat picked up speed. It was like a literal beam of sunshine breaking through clouds, and he was left a little short of breath.

Trying to regain his composure, he turned to Lando, only to see a knowing smile cross the man’s face as he took in the scene before him.

“Lando, can you please do me a favour? My speeder is out on the edge of town.” He named the street it was parked on. “Could you get one of your folk to help out by taking our things there? We have one more stop to make before we leave.” Lando swept his arm out in a bow, smiling broadly, and then surprised them both by taking Rey’s free hand in his, kissing it briefly before letting go.

“Always happy to help, Ben Solo. Don’t be a stranger, alright?” He winked, and Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes a little. Lando was always good at charming the ladies, and a peek at Rey showed him that her face had now gone completely red, her freckles standing out like little gold flecks on her skin. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, he leaned down to speak quietly in her ear.

“Rey, if you’re ready...?” She nodded, seeming to steel herself, and squeezed his hand in return. Together they walked out into the glaring light of the day.


	5. Chapter Five

Married. Husband and wife. Rey sat behind Ben on the speeder, arms wrapped around his solid waist, her mind whirling over the events that had happened this day. 

They had stood before the old Twi’lek priest, his green lekku faded in colour somewhat, as he had recited the simple vows that had bound them together in the sight of the law. Rey had stumbled through the words, in her nervousness needing to be prompted, and had breathlessly listened as Ben had repeated them back to her. 

Promises to hold, to keep. To never let go, to weather hardships together. All the things she had been longing for her whole life, and never imagined she would actually be getting. 

Ben had no ring to give her, and she none for him, but he had held both her hands tightly and when the priest pronounced them husband and wife, he had leaned forward, oh so slowly, until his breath ghosted against her face, and gently kissed her cheek. Rey had felt the shock of that contact go all the way to her feet, and her eyes slid shut for a moment, suddenly feeling the enormity of what she was doing. This man, who she had only known by the letters they had exchanged for a short time, was promising to be with her, and her with him. 

Then they had left the building, Ben still holding her hand and pulling her gently towards where the speeder sat, loaded and ready to go. There had been few people around to see them go, but she still felt curious looks from those who were there. 

Now she was being carried across this green lush landscape, the air soft and humid and scented like the green she had always imagined as a child. Closing her eyes for a moment, Rey simply breathed in, filling her lungs with the lush fragrance. She could feel each exhale of Ben’s chest as well, and wondered if he was thinking the same thoughts as she. His helmet and goggles covered most of his face, and the wind whipping past them would have snatched any words from their lips and flung them away. Rey was content for now, to simply wait. 

______________________________________________

The sun was setting when they reached Ben’s humble homestead, the sky painted with high wisps of orange and pink, bathing the entire landscape in a warm glow. Rey saw a small, low house, set at the base of a hill, and surrounded by fenced in fields on all sides. By the house grew a huge tree, whose branches overhung and trailed over the roof. There was no light in the windows, and Rey was suddenly struck by the need to see it lit, to see a warm, homely glow cast from them and across the garden that grew before it. 

Ben braked carefully, and Rey quickly let go of his waist, feeling a bit cold now at the loss of his warmth. The evening air was cool, although not as chill as the desert, and touched her skin gently with soft vapour. Rey couldn’t stop herself taking huge, satisfying breaths of air, and blushed a little ruefully when she caught a Ben’s soft smile at the corner of her eye. 

“It’s so different from Jakku,” she explained, “the air is so dry there that sometimes you feel like it’s turning your lungs to dust.” He nodded, understanding, as he busied himself unpacking some of the cargo they had brought back with them. Rey immediately sprang forwards to help, picking up as many of the parcels and boxes as she could manage. She was about to try and stack one final parcel on top when a Ben reached over and suddenly grabbed it, placing it on his own pile. At Rey’s questioning look he shyly looked at the ground, and Rey wondered if he was blushing. Since he offered no explanation, she gathered up her burden and followed him towards the front door.   
______________________________

If Ben had known that morning when he left, that he was going to be coming home with a wife, he might have done a few things differently. 

For example, he would have left the lights on in the house. The day had been sunny and the solar batteries had been fully charged, so there was no reason he couldn’t have left them on all day. 

He silently cursed this unavoidable oversight as he fumbled with the door, then as he shuffled inside, load balanced awkwardly with one arm as he felt for the light switches. Finding them at last, he breathed a sigh of relief as warm light flooded the house. He turned to smile at Rey, about to invite her inside, when a thought occurred to him. 

“Rey, wait there for just a second,” she paused on the doorstep, confused, as Ben rushed inside, dumped his parcels on the table, and then came back, relieving Rey of her load. After he put hers down also, he made his way back to where she still stood, looking a little lost and confused. He thought for a moment, then leaned down and swept her up in his arms, one behind her knees, and the other around her shoulders. Rey gave a squeak of surprise at this action, and clung to his shoulders.

“Ben, what...?”

“It’s a custom, on this planet, for a new husband to carry his, er, wife,” his voice cracked a little at the word, “over the threshold of their house. It’s supposed to bring luck.” 

“Oh.” At the word “wife”, Rey had felt her face grow hot, and she hid it against his broad chest. She could feel his heart thundering, and knew her own was likely beating just as fast. Ben carried her carefully into the living area, and gently, carefully, as though she were something breakable, set her down on her feet. Rey was unable to look him in the eyes, and felt every place their bodies had touched, like the warmth of the sun. 

Instead she turned and began to look around her. The dwelling was small, low ceilinged, and the most comforting place Rey thought she had ever seen. It was paved all over with wide, red sandstone, except for a few areas where rugs softened the floor. Against one wall was a food preparation area (“a kitchen,” her brain supplied, although she had never seen a real one before this), and against the opposite, was a large, low piece of furniture, covered in soft looking cushions that Rey longed to fling herself into. A bookshelf that was full to the brim with books stood against the wall next to the couch, lit with a warm, golden light hanging from the ceiling. The handwoven rug on the floor was subtle, all in shades of earth and stone. 

In the center of the room stood a large, solid wooden table, with a bench on either side and chair at each end. It almost seemed too large for the space, as though it was intended for a much larger room, but Rey liked the look of it. It looked handcrafted, as though it had been made with some love and care. There were two doors that led to places unknown, but that was the total of the house she could see.

While she had been examining her surroundings, Ben had been bustling around the room, moving some of the packages into the kitchen cupboards, grabbing containers out of the cooler, and banging around with drawers. Within minutes he had two plates at the table, and had opened the containers of what appeared to be leftovers, arranging them so they could both easily reach.

“Why don’t you sit, Rey. You must be hungry.” He indicated the table, smiling that small, shy half-smile that seemed to creep out at certain moments. 

Two meals in one day? Rey hasn’t even considered the possibility of a second, particularly after the hearty lunch she had eaten earlier. There was, however, another pressing need she found herself with, and was unsure how to ask about it.

“Ben, I, uh... that is, do you have somewhere I can..” frustrated at her inability to communicate, she waved her hands around expressively, trying to tell him without words.

“Oh!” The blush returns. Rey finds she is growing rather fond of it. “Of course, I’m so sorry. The ‘fresher is just through there.” He indicates one of the two doors and Rey heads through it, stopping short at the sight of what she can only assume is a bath. She had heard of these, there was even a rumour that the most expensive room in the Niima tavern had one, but she had never seen one herself. Just the thought of that extravagant waste of water made her gasp, and she walked over to it, kneeling and running her hands across its smooth sides. Ben, who had poked his head in when he heard her exclamation (and also when she hadn’t closed the door) grinned outright when he saw what held her attention.

“Would you like one? A bath, I mean. I can run one for you after we eat.”

Rey turned to him, her face aglow, eyes sparkling. “Oh, do you think I could? I’ve always wanted to try one of these,” and she grinned in return, her face lighting up. Ben sucked in his breath at the sight, and his smile softened. “I’ll leave you to it for now, okay?” He retreated, closing the door gently behind him, while Rey hurriedly completed her business.


	6. Chapter Six

Satisfied, replete, and thoroughly full for the second time that day, Rey stood, almost hopping from foot to foot with excitement as Ben knelt before the tub, testing the water that flowed into it with his hand. The water was so clean! It didn’t smell like mud or chemicals, and she longed to fling herself into it, as she had once flung herself into a short lived desert pool that had formed after a brief but tumultuous rainstorm. 

The meal had passed pleasantly enough, each asking the other innocuous questions about their lives, trying to fill in the gaps that they had not had time to correspond about. Ben learned about Rey’s passion for engines, and anything that moved. He mentioned he had a tractor in his barn that was in need of looking at, and she nearly rubbed her hands together in glee. 

Rey in turn learned more about his life here, the crops he grew and the animals he raised, and the way daily life went on in the green foothills. After her harsh existence, it honestly sounded almost relaxing. There was nobody driving her, holding starvation above her as a threat to work harder. She was resolved to do anything that was required of her, that no task would be too difficult.

And as a reward - the water churned, roiling, nearly at the top. Imagine! A bath, every day! Ben had promised that it was perfectly alright, that he had large underwater reservoir tanks, and the nearby river, and that they never lacked for water. 

With a squeak, the taps were off, and Ben stood, indicating the cupboard built into the wall that was full to bursting with soft looking, beige towels. Rey began to unwind her arm wraps and then paused, a thought occurring to her as she suddenly realised that the clothes she was wearing were in desperate need of washing. She turned to Ben, about to ask, when a similar thought seemed to occur to him. He raised one finger, then left the room hurriedly, returning with a pile of what she assumed was clothing. He then left the room, closing the door firmly behind him, and Rey stripped herself quicker than she had ever done in her life.

She stood for a moment, looking down at herself. She did not have many opportunities to examine her own body, as there were few occasions for her to fully remove her clothes. She also didn’t really know many women to compare herself against, and had thus never really developed any self-consciousness about her looks. She looked into the mirror before her, assessing herself. She had all her teeth, that was a good start when you came from a rough profession that often led to the loss of one or more. She was lean, and knew the muscles that moved under her skin were strong, and could haul her into a crashed star destroyer with ease. 

Frowning at her reflection, she contemplated her chest. She was not well endowed, but that was all for the better, as a larger chest would have only gotten in her way. Rey felt that perhaps there were too many indentations of her ribs showing, and her hip bones protruded just a little too far out. There had been too many days and nights of hunger, of never being satisfied on the same bland fare, even when she could get enough of it. With one last look and a shrug at what she could see, she finally allowed herself to turn back to the bath. 

The first touch of hot water against her skin made her hiss, and she had to hold herself still for a moment to let her feet and calves adjust. Slowly, inch by inch, she lowered herself in, feeling the soothing heat wash over her entire body. She pulled her hair from its buns and, holding her breath, dunked her head beneath the surface, gasping as she emerged a moment later. Having never learned to swim on a desert planet, she didn’t feel entirely comfortable putting her face under the water, but she was determined to get as clean as she could. 

Years of desert dust and sand blowing around her made it feel as though she had collected it in every crevasse. Noticing the container of what was likely liquid soap that sat on the edge of the tub, she squirted a little in her hand and sniffed it experimentally. The clean, earthy smell reminded her of Ben, and it suddenly occurred to her that he likely used this very soap to wash himself. Rey was suddenly glad that she was alone in the room, as her face flamed. She scrubbed herself quickly, trying not to let herself think too hard about the fact that she was doing so in the bathroom of her new husband, who was in the next room.

_Husband._

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Ben sat at the table, then stood a moment later, pacing between the kitchen and table, carrying plates and dishes to be cleaned. Slotting them into the washer, he closed the door, activating the unit. Once again he paced for a few moments, unable to focus on one task at a time. Trying not to think about the fact that behind the door of the ‘fresher was his... wife. 

_Wife._

Her smile when he had offered her the bath had nearly undone him. He had found himself seized with the sudden urge to hold her face between his hands and kiss her, gently, as he had not yet been able to do, on her smiling mouth. She was almost childlike in her glee when he told her that not only was the use of water alright, but that she was even welcome to do it every day. 

Ben was not usually a fidgety man, but he found himself oscillating, opening a box here, abandoning it, picking up something else, moving it across the table, and returning to the box he opened originally. Finally he noticed the parcel that he had taken from Rey when they arrived, in his embarrassment. It contained the dress, and as he turned it over the paper crinkled in his hands. He had never imagined, when he bought it on a whim earlier that day, that he would have acquired a wife by sundown. 

_Wife._ His brain kept repeating the word as though it had just learned it. She had travelled so far, fought for so long, just to reach him, and he felt his heart swelling at the thought. She had come to him because she trusted him, because he was safe, because she knew he wouldn’t reject her. At least, that was how it seemed in his mind. Ben was suddenly filled with the determination to never break that trust she had in him, to never betray her or misuse her, as had been done to her by others. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, although he knew that she had her own strength, to have survived as long as she had. 

He suddenly became aware again of the parcel he held in his hands, and, not quite knowing what to do with it, strode across the room to a wooden chest that was full of blankets. Opening it up, he quickly shoved the parcel to the bottom, underneath everything inside. Closing it again, he heard the creak of the bathroom door and turned, his breath leaving his chest at the sight there. 

Rey stood, hair unbound and dripping down her shoulder onto the large, white shirt she was wearing. His shirt. That she seemed to be wearing with nothing else. Her skin was flushed and clean, and her whole body looked more relaxed, her posture loose. She held a bundle of her dirty clothes in front of her, and was apparently looking around for somewhere to put them. Ben cleared his throat once, and strode forwards, praying his face didn’t betray what he was thinking. 

“Let me take those, Rey. The garment ‘fresher is over here,” he pointed to a hatch built into the wall, and opened it quickly, shoving everything inside and activating it with the push of a button. Rey seemed fascinated and walked over to it, watching through the glass door as yet more water poured into it and it began to rotate. Ben cleared his throat and she spun around, as though she just remembered he was there. He was doing his very best to keep his eyes on her face, and definitely not allowing them to stray downwards to her long, lean legs that showed underneath his shirt. 

“Rey, I know you must be tired, and I know we’ve only just... met,” he had to stop and chuckle a little at the incongruity of the statement, “but I just wanted you to know that I’m more than happy to sleep out here on the couch, I don’t want to push you to do anything you’re not comfortable with...” his voice trailed off as he watched comprehension dawn on her face, followed quickly by embarrassment. She put her hands up to her face, covering her hot cheeks, and stuttered,

“Oh, I hadn’t really thought, I mean, I didn’t...” She took a deep breath, and seemed to compose herself a little, “I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that. Please, let me sleep out here. You should be comfortable, after all, I’m a guest in your house...” her voice trailed off also as Ben took one, then two steps towards her, reaching out to gently pry her hands away from her face. Shaking just a little, he lifted them to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on each of her palms. She curled them up instinctively, keeping his kisses hidden inside, as Ben let go of her wrists and smiled his half smile. 

“Rey, it’s fine. I insist.” Taking one hand, he gently opened her fingers and twined his own through them, leading her to the door she hadn’t yet opened. Inside was little but a chest of drawers, a mirror against one wall, and a large, low bed that seemed to have been made from the same wood as the table. Two small tables stood on either side of the bed, each with a lamp on it. Ben showed her where the light switches were, turned down the covers, then carefully, smiling, backed out of the room, closing the door and leaning against it, forcing himself to slow his breathing. The temptation to sweep back into the room and pick her up as he had at the front door was nearly overwhelming, but Ben was determined that he would not betray her trust. He would move slowly, carefully, not wanting to frighten or overwhelm her, and particularly not wanting her to feel like she owed him in any way for what he gladly gave her. 

Pulling several blankets from the chest, Ben flicked off all the lights, and curled up on the couch, his feet hanging over the edge into space. Determined to sleep, she squeezed his eyes shut and thought of weeding the garden, until it finally overtook him.


	7. Chapter Seven

Ben woke, as he usually did, just before the dawn. His body stiff and disoriented, he lay for a moment, confused at his surroundings. Why was he lying here on his couch? In a moment it all came rushing back to him. His trip to town, Lando, and Rey -- his wife. Swinging his legs off the couch he stood, stretching his whole body upwards until his hands nearly brushed the ceiling. 

Would she still be asleep? Ben hoped she’d had a restful sleep, and couldn’t resist walking softly towards the bedroom door. Pulling it open quietly, he looked into the room, confused for a moment by what he saw. Rey was nowhere to be seen, and the bed was missing all its blankets. He walked carefully around the end of the bed and then smiled, one hand going to his mouth as he saw Rey, laying on the floor in a pile of blankets, sound asleep. Her mouth hung slightly open, and there was a darker patch underneath her face, as though she had drooled in her sleep. 

Ben couldn’t help himself. A laugh burst out from him before he could stop it, and at the sound, Rey startled awake. Her whole body jerked upwards before becoming even more tangled in the process, and she tipped sideways, landing on the floor with a thud. Ben was immediately kneeling on the floor, helping her unwind herself from the blankets, all the while feeling a fond smile stretch across his face. 

Once Rey was on her feet, her face the flaming red with embarrassment, it was Ben’s turn to blush, at the sight of her all dishevelled and dressed in nothing but his shirt. To cover his embarrassment and to stop himself staring, he leaned down and started to pick up the blankets that were on the cool stone floor, hoisting them back up onto the bed. 

“Did you fall off the bed last night, Rey?” He asked, hoping it was a safe topic to broach. 

“Well, not exactly,” she sounded a little sheepish, “I’m sort of used to sleeping on the ground or just on a blanket. It was so soft I couldn’t make myself fall asleep no matter what I did.” Ben felt a little pang of sadness at her admission, the thought that she was so used to hardship that even the simple luxury of a comfortable bed was totally foreign to her. 

“Did you... sleep well?” Ben turned to face her at this question, and smiled at the sincerity in her face. “I felt so bad taking the bed away from you, I mean you’re so, so,” her hands waved in a way that seemed to indicate something of great size, like a house or a mountain, and she blushed at the look on Ben’s face. 

“It was fine,” he reassured her, despite the fact that he had tossed and turned for half the night, “I can handle it.”

“It’s just, I can sleep on the floor, and then you can have the bed, I don’t mind...” her eyes seemed to be drawn to the floor and she shuffled her bare feet. Ben reached out and with one finger under her chin, gently tilted her face upwards to look at him. 

“It’s ok, Rey, it really is. We’ll work it out as we go, okay?” She nodded, her eyes wide, and Ben found his gaze drawn downwards for a moment, to land on those sweet lips. Although there was part of him that wanted to lean down and close the distance between them, to claim those lips as his, he hesitated, not wanting to push anything on her that she wasn’t ready for. 

He leaned back deliberately and let go of her face, smiling to reassure her, and charged the subject. 

“Your clothes should be all dry by now, would you like me to get them for you?”

Rey nodded, hands going to the hem of the shirt she was wearing, suddenly pulling it downwards as though she was only just remembering what she wore. Ben left the room and went to the garment ‘fresher, opening the door and pulling out the bundle of warm, dry clothes. Some of what she had been wearing had fallen to pieces, and he frowned, gathering up the loose bits as best he could. He turned to find that Rey had followed him and had been peering over his shoulder, curious as to how this machine had not only washed, but dried her clothes also. 

“Looks like something didn’t quite survive the trip,” he held up the bundle so Rey could see, and she took it from him, further rags falling to the floor. 

“Oh.” The single world expressed her mortification, and she knelt to also pick up the pieces. “I’ll just go and, er, get dressed then.” 

__________________________________

The bedroom door slammed behind her and Rey leant, face flaming, against it. As if it hadn’t been embarrassing enough that she’d practically fallen on her face in front of Ben this morning, now he had seen the sorry state of her only garments. Dumping the pile on the bed, she sorted through them. The wraps that had covered her arms and neck were the worst off, having disintegrated into a messy, shredded pile of threads. Her undergarments were mostly intact, and she pulled Ben’s shirt off over her head, putting them on hastily. Her leggings, a sturdy practical garment that came to just below her knees, had a few holes here and there, but those had been there before she arrived. 

The shirt she had been wearing, however, had given way over a thin, often mended area, and now hung open, gaping and ragged. Unsure of what to do, Rey absently chewed on her thumbnail for a moment, before her gaze landed on the voluminous, white shirt that Ben had given her the night before. Surely he wouldn’t mind...

Gathering it up, she pulled it on once more, and set about making it a little more practical for everyday wear. The sleeves were rolled up now to above her elbow, and she had tucked it in at the waist as best she could. It still felt as though there was fabric billowing everywhere, but it would have to do. Taking a deep breath, Rey opened the door and stepped out to the most delightful smell she had ever known. Ben was standing with his back to her in the kitchen, cooking something amazingly savoury that made her mouth begin to water immediately. Before she could be distracted too much, she quietly opened the door to the ‘fresher, taking care of her morning business. 

When she emerged once more, the smell hit her nose yet again. To think she had been eating dehydrated portions all these years, and had never known that food could taste this good! Even with missed meals, she had eaten better since coming planetside than she ever had in her life. Peering around Ben, she saw that he was stirring some kind of purple legumes around in a pan, as they sizzled and popped. He pushed them to one side and reached for a green, speckled egg in a bowl and cracked it with one hand, the dark orange yolk bubbling immediately as it hit the hot surface. Repeating it with another egg, Ben then flipped them both, allowing the other side to cook, while stirring the beans a little. 

It was then that he finally noticed Rey standing there in fascination, her eyes riveted on the contents of the pan. It took a second for his brain to register that she was still wearing his shirt, and once again found himself with a tight feeling in his belly, as his brain recalled how she had been wearing it this morning. Thankfully she had now paired it with her old leggings, so he didn’t have to think too hard about the sight of her bare legs, but his thoughts seemed to drift there anyway. 

“That smells amazing,” Rey whispered, taking a deep sniff of the air. Ben recollected himself and turned back to his task, shaking his head a little to try and get himself to focus. 

“If you open that cupboard down there,” he indicated with a foot, “there’s plates we can use for breakfast. Eagerly Rey complied, pulling out two glazed, greeny-blue earthenware plates, and set them on the countertop next to the cooktop. Ben took the pan and deftly slid an egg onto each one, followed by a heaping serving of the beans. Herbs of some kind were sprinkled on top, along with what Rey assumed was salt, although it was grey in colour rather than white. He then retrieved a couple of pieces of bread from where they had been warming at the back of the stove, and spread some yellow substance that Rey didn’t recognise onto each one. One onto each plate, which he then picked up, one in each hand, and took to the table. 

Rey sat eagerly and picked up the bread, ready to tear into the meal the way she would have back home. Ben cleared his throat, just a little, and she looked up to see him offering eating utensils to her. Rey flushed, embarrassed that she had forgotten the way they seemed to eat on this planet, and picked them up clumsily, still getting used to the way they felt in her hands. 

Once again she watched Ben, and did her best to imitate his actions, carefully cutting the food with one and scooping it up with the other. Every mouthful was more delicious than the last, and Rey couldn’t help her eyes sliding closed in bliss, a moan escaping her as she did. She missed the way Ben’s eyes became fixed on her, the way he watched her eat in fascination, as though he had never seen anyone enjoy food before. 

They ate in a companionable silence, only Rey’s blissful exclamations breaking the quiet of morning. When she had used the last scrap of bread to mop up the last of the egg yolk and popped it into her mouth, Ben finally spoke.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d love to show you around the farm. I’ve got chores that need to be done this morning, but you can come with me, if you’d like.” Rey smiled at him from across the table.

“I’d like that.”


	8. Chapter Eight

The wind whipped through Rey’s hair as she once again found herself clinging to Ben’s broad back, as they zipped up and over the hills that formed part of his homestead. He had found a spare pair of goggles for her, so she could look around as they rode the speeder without her eyes watering in the wind. They were crossing wide paddocks now, fences dividing them in neat grids across the land. 

A kind of beast she had never seen before scattered at their approach, the herd splitting and fleeing in a crazed pattern across the green. She had a brief look at crazed eyes and heard the loud warbling coming from many throats, and couldn’t help laughing to herself. Ben’s head turned towards her for a moment, and she thought she caught the flash of a grin on his face. After a few more minutes he slowed, finally slowing down and pulling over alongside a wide, slow flowing stream that cut through the corner of one paddock. Ben swung off and turned to offer a hand to Rey, who had already dismounted and was looking around her, joy written on her face. 

“It’s so beautiful, Ben,” she breathed, and Ben looked around at the slightly muddy ground, the sluggish water, and the few scraggly bushes, and scratched his head. 

“This is hardly what I’d call beautiful. There’s a pump here that’s been playing up, and I needed to check it. Generator might be down.” He was already walking along the stream’s edge, Rey trailing behind him in wonder. Reaching the spot where the pump resided, Ben squatted down on the muddy bank, unlatching the dark green, plastic cover and pulling it off. The generator was indeed quiet, and Ben poked it once, gingerly, as though he hoped that would bring it back to life. He didn’t mind fixing engines if he had to, but it was more his dad’s field. 

Rey, however, was already down on her haunches beside him, eyes glowing, but not touching anything. 

“Would you like to...?” Before he could even finish the sentence, she had gently elbowed him to one side, and was already checking valves, opening the fuel tank, and peering at the wiring. Ben stood, wiping his hands on his trousers, grinning to himself as he watched Rey work. She was totally engrossed, her brow furrowed in concentration, the tip of her tongue sticking out slightly from one corner of her mouth. 

Ben felt a soft, tender feeling well up in his chest and overflow as he watched her. She had not been exaggerating her prowess with engines, as within a few moments of working at it, she gave a triumphant yell as it rumbled to life.

They grinned at each other, and Ben put his hand out to help Rey to her feet. As she put her weight on her back foot, it slid in the thick, dark red mud and down she went with a dull splat, landing squarely on her backside. Ben couldn’t help the laugh that burst from him at the sight of Rey’s face, full of shocked disbelief. 

He tried to contain his mirth, afraid she might think he was mocking her, but missed the mischievous smirk that had appeared on her face. Something hit him square on the chest with a splat and he stared downwards, shocked at the ball of mud that was now making its way slowly down his shirt.

Rey stared, looking a little shocked with herself, and unsure of his reaction. His mouth twitched but didn’t quite smile, and Rey froze, unsure if she had made a mistake. Her eyes followed him as he slowly knelt, digging the long fingers of one hand into the mud beneath them, and then deliberately plopped it onto the top of her head. 

Rey shrieked, and then it was all on. Mud flew backwards and forwards through the air, and they both shouted and laughed and threw until they were breathless. Rey was sitting squarely in the mud, and could feel it soaking through her clothing, and she couldn’t remember a time in her entire life where she had laughed like this, where she had just had fun for the sake of having fun. Ben was splattered in mud all over, including the side of his face, and was kneeling in the mud, grinning widely. 

As they got their breath back, Rey’s caught in her throat as Ben suddenly leaned forward and raised a hand towards her face. Gently, tenderly, he used one mud-encrusted finger to swipe a thick chunk of mud that was drying on Rey’s cheek. Rey sat, perfectly still, not knowing if she should reciprocate or move or even continue breathing. His smile was smaller, but his eyes continued it, and for a long moment they sat, staring into each other’s eyes. His eyes were a warm brown, amber around the edges, and something in them made Rey feel... safe. She wasn’t sure how else to describe it. 

Eventually Ben stood, and once again reached out to offer Rey his hand. This time she took it, letting him pull her out of a mud with an audible sucking sound that made her giggle all over again. 

“Well,” Ben gestured wryly to himself with his free hand, not releasing hers, “I suppose it’s a good thing I’ve finished what I need to for this morning. Shall we head home?”

Home. Hearing that word had the same effect on her as looking into Ben’s eyes had. There was a warm feeling inside her chest that bloomed and spread outwards to her fingertips where the two of them were touching. It lasted all through the ride back to the house, even though Rey found herself shivering slightly as the mud cooled on her body. 

__________________________________________

Ben parked the speeder next to the house and climbed off, Rey behind him, and they walked back to the house together. Ben couldn’t resist grabbing her hand once again, and twining their fingers together. He saw Rey giving him a shy look from the corner of his eye when he did, and he could feel the heat rising in his own face. 

They entered the house after kicking their boots off outside the door, and Ben saw Rey grimace as she saw the flakes of dried mud now falling onto the floor. 

“Sorry about the, er, mess.” She looked ashamed, and Ben squeezed the hand he still held, wanting to reassure her. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll set the droid to vacuum after us.”

“You have a droid that... cleans?” Her eyes lit up and Ben grinned, loving the way she was so obviously passionate about all things mechanical. 

“I do. Farm work can be kind of dirty, you know?” And he indicated between them, his eyebrows waggling a little. Rey giggled once more, her hand going up to cover her mouth, as she looked the two of them over. 

“I’m beginning to see what you mean. All those mud fights must be exhausting.”

Ben nodded seriously. “I usually have a droid just for the mud fights, but it’s good to know I won’t be needing him anymore.”

Rey snorted loudly, then clapped both hands over her mouth, causing Ben to laugh out loud. She had only been in his life for a day, and she had already brought more joy to him than he’d had in years. As he turned towards the ‘fresher a new problem presented itself. 

“Rey, you go first. I’ll wait out here for you to finish.” Rey looked towards the ‘fresher and he could tell the moment the same problem occurred to her. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Ben, it’s your house. I’m more than happy to sit out here and wait for you to be done.” 

Ben felt a little pang at those words, and took both her hands, looking her in the eyes. 

“Rey, I don’t want you to feel that way. This is just as much your house now as it is mine, okay?” He squeezed her hands and she nodded, her eyes bright. Ben wondered if she had ever had a real place to call that before, and as a tear fell from one of her eyes and cut a track in the dirt down her face, he reached out a finger to catch it. The tension that was building between them was broken somewhat by the fact that when he moved his arm, more dirt fell onto the ground between them, and was also smeared across Rey’s face. First things first, then. 

“Listen, I’m sure we can work something out. We’re both adults, right?” 

Rey nodded. “Of... of course.” Her smile was a little wobbly, but determined. 

________________________________________


	9. Chapter Nine

It turned out to be slightly more complicated than they had anticipated. First they had begun to undress, backs politely turned to each other, when Ben had suddenly realised he should get some more clothing for them both. A quick trip to the bedroom and he returned with clothes for himself and what he hoped would suffice for Rey. They would really need to make a trip back into town soon, he thought to himself, and cursed his lack of foresight in not thinking about it when they had been there last. 

Then they resumed undressing, both careful not to turn and look at the other. Ben suddenly felt uncharacteristically vulnerable. Nobody had seen him like this in, well, long enough. What if she didn’t... like him? What if he was too scarred, too clumsy, too ugly? He thought of her lithe, long legs that he had done his best not to stare at as they peeked out at him from under his own shirt. Before he could stop himself, his mind had wandered off in a tangent, that involved wondering if the freckles that dotted her nose could be found anywhere else on her. 

Rey cleared her throat, sounding nervous. Suddenly Ben was snapped back into the current situation, aware that he was standing, staring at the wall, with his pants around his ankles. Risking a glance over his shoulder, and keeping his gaze at head-height, Ben could see that Rey had already undressed. At least, he surmised that by the sight of her bare shoulders, her head turned politely away from him. For a moment his brain shorted a little, as though he were a faulty droid, and he could have sworn he felt sparks shooting from his ears. In that brief glimpse he had indeed seen a light dusting of freckles on those shoulders. 

The spout for the shower was built in the ceiling over the tub, and Ben had to step into it, somewhat awkwardly, as he was still trying to give Rey privacy. Fortunately the tub was wide enough for two to stand in, and as Ben twisted the taps on, he heard Rey climbing in behind him. Adjusting the water to a steaming, warm spray, Ben once again chanced a quick glance over one shoulder. Rey stood just behind him, her back to him still, folded slightly in on herself and shivering. 

“Rey,” she jumped a little as he spoke close to her ear, “Go ahead and get in the water. I promise I won’t look, okay?” She nodded, and Ben edged around her as carefully as he could, their backs still turned to each other. For a moment he felt soft skin brush up against his backside and his entire body felt as though it had a current of electricity run through it. The way Rey gasped slightly made him wonder if she had felt the same. As she stepped beneath the spray, water splashed onto him also, running down his back and legs. It was warm, and soft, and the feeling of it as it poured down his skin made Ben realise he really needed to get control of himself before he did something that might be inappropriate. 

Reaching around carefully, he fumbled for the soap dispenser and his arm brushed against Rey while doing so. Trying not to imagine which part of her body he had accidentally touched, he squirted the soft foam into his palm, and then set about vigorously scrubbing those parts of him that were the dirtiest. His feet became a challenge, as he had to bend forwards to wash them, and he didn’t want to cause Rey any more discomfort by touching her again. Balancing on one foot, he lifted the other, starting to wash as best he could. 

Water, reddened by the ochre mud that was coming from both their bodies, was pooling in the bottom of the tub. As Ben set one foot down, intending to wash the other, he slipped in the sudsy water. He felt himself tipping backwards, and scrambled to regain his balance. Before he could right himself entirely, his body came into contact with... once again his brain seemed to short circuit and all he could think was soft, so soft before he managed to catch the side of the glass panel that ran from ceiling to floor closest to the spout. His breath was coming in short, quick bursts as the adrenaline flowed through him, and he could hear Rey behind him, sounding equally winded. 

“Are you,” Ben felt her fingers touch his shoulder, “are you alright?”

Ben swallowed, feeling like a nervous youngling, and nodded before he realised Rey may not actually be looking at him. 

“I’m fine.” Now his voice was cracking all over again, as though he were fifteen, and not a supposedly experienced man of 30. Taking a steadying breath, he spoke more firmly. “I’m okay, Rey. I hope I didn’t hurt you?” She giggled a little, and it lifted his heart to hear.

“I’m fine as well. Just trying to work out how to get all this muck out of my hair.”

Ben spoke before he could stop the words. “I could... help?”

“Oh could you? I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with mud like this in my whole life. The sand on Jakku is... well it’s mostly just sand. It gets everywhere, but doesn’t really stick to much.” Ben glanced over his shoulder and saw that Rey had stepped out of the spray and turned her back to him. There was some foam in her hair, but Ben could see it wasn’t near enough. Swallowing yet again, as though he had a hopper lodged in his throat, he turned to face her. Keeping his eyes trained on the muddy tangle that was her hair, he reached again for the soap dispenser, filling his hands again with soft foam. 

Tentatively, oh so carefully, he began to smooth it onto Rey’s head. Neither of them said anything as he worked the cleansing foam into her hair, using his fingers to gently work it through the muddy strands. Rey’s breathing was jerky, her shoulders slightly hunched forwards, and Ben hoped he wasn’t hurting her in some way. 

“Is this okay?” He couldn’t seem to bring his voice any louder than a whisper, and had to lean forwards to ensure Rey could hear him. As he watched, a full body shiver seemed to pass over her, and she nodded her head vigorously. Ben couldn’t help smiling a little at this, and did his best to finish what he had started, using his fingers to comb slightly through her soft brown hair to untangle it. His fingers brushed her neck, and suddenly he found himself longing to run them down the slope of her shoulder, and down to... anywhere. Everywhere. His heart was pounding and it felt as though all the blood in his body was evacuating all non essential extremities and moving to certain other places. 

Hurriedly, he stepped back, letting Rey’s hair fall to her shoulders. 

“There you go.” What to do with his hands? His entire body? “You can go ahead and wash it out now.” It was amazing how normal his voice sounded, given everything that was happening inside him. Forgetting that he was supposed to turn around now, he watched, mesmerised, as Rey stepped into the spray and lifted her arms to help rinse the soap from her. The soapy water flowed down her shoulders and back, and as she turned slightly Ben saw the sweet curve of her breast. 

As though he had been burned, Ben spun around and began to wash himself almost violently. He bit the inside of his mouth as he worked, thinking about shovelling animal dung and the prices of grain and how he was going to get the animals in the south pasture treated for parasites. He definitely was not thinking about the long column of Rey’s neck and how he desperately wanted to press his mouth to it, to see if she tasted as sweet as she looked. 

Finished as quickly as he could be, Ben all but leaped from the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist tightly. 

“Uh, you take your time Rey, I’m all done,” he grabbed his pile of clothing and all but bolted for the door, closing it behind him before Rey could respond. He leaned against it, his whole body trembling, as water pooled unheeded on the floor beneath his feet. 

He really needed to get control of himself. 

__________________________________________

After they had dressed (Rey in yet another ensemble of Ben’s clothing that was far too big for her), eaten dinner, and Ben had shown Rey how to program the clothes ‘fresher herself, Rey had found herself standing in front of the bookshelves that lined one wall of the living area. While Ben finished loading dishes and putting away food, Rey stared at all the titles and names that she didn’t know. She was just reaching out a tentative hand to touch the spine of one, when Ben’s voice spoke quietly from behind her. 

“You’re welcome to read any of them, if you like.”

Rey jumped, knocking the book off the shelf and turning, flustered and ashamed, to face Ben. Was he going to be angry at her for maybe damaging his book? Instead of disappointment he was smiling, his eyes warm and inviting. Without breaking her gaze he leaned down and retrieved the book, putting it into her unresisting hands. 

What was wrong with her lately? Ever since they had showered together, and he had helped wash her hair, she had been jumpy, nervous, with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t quite identify. They had eaten together normally enough, making small talk about what they had both seen while travelling around the property today. She had only forgotten to use the eating utensils a couple of times, catching herself before she wiped her hands on Ben’s shirt again. Ben had placed a piece of cloth next to her plate and Rey watched as he used it to wipe his mouth and hands as he ate. She did her best to copy his actions, wanting to be as acceptable as she was able. 

All the while that feeling nested, like a bolt of captured static electricity, in her stomach. It was there every time she looked up and found him watching her, his soft brown eyes intent, although not unkind. It became almost unbearable when they touched, whether accidentally or intentionally. Rey didn’t know what to do with what she felt. She wondered if he felt the same. 

For now, she took the book that he had given her, and perched on one end of the wide couch. Looking at the cover gave nothing away, as it was simply a deep shade of purple, with silver, swirling designs along the borders. As she opened it and began to read, however, she discovered it was a book of made-up stories. At least, she assumed they were made up. She had never heard of dragons that swam through nebulas in space, or small, humanoid winged creatures called “fairies”. Given her upbringing, perhaps she was simply ignorant of them, and didn’t want to call attention to her ignorance by asking Ben if they were real. 

Engrossed in the stories, she hadn’t noticed Ben choosing a book also, and settling himself on the other end of the couch. Eventually, she scooted herself back onto the cushions and drew her legs up, curling into a ball to read. 

The night drew on, peaceful and quiet, with no noise save the turning of their pages and the faint cacophony of animal and insect noises that drifted through the closed windows. The next thing Rey remembered, she was being lifted, in strong, warm arms, and carried somewhere. She was placed down on a wide, soft surface and felt blankets being drawn over her. The hands that had carried her tucked her in gently, and Rey felt a soft touch on one cheek, as though fingers trailed gently across her skin for a moment. In a flash she reached out and grabbed those fingers with one hand, holding them there. She opened her bleary eyes and Ben’s face swam into view, dimly lit by a single lamp.

“Ben, you don’t have to...” a huge yawn cracked her jaw, “you don’t have to sleep on the couch. There’s room here...”

Ben said nothing for a few moments, and her eyes drifted shut again. The next thing she felt was a dip in the mattress beside her, and the blankets moving across her body before she drifted off into blissful sleep.

____________________________________________


	10. Chapter Ten

Waking the next morning before the sun, as he usually did, Ben immediately noticed something different. 

He was warm, warmer than he usually liked to be. The covers were tangled around his body, trapping the heat against him, and something else as well. As his mind surfaced from the haze of sleep, he remembered. 

Rey was tucked in against his body, curled together with her spine to his chest, as though they were two pieces of a puzzle that had fit together. Ben’s arm was tucked under her head, and the other wrapped around her waist, holding her close. He lay, as still as he could be, breathing slowly and quietly, afraid to move in case he woke her. Every breath stirred her hair and he watched the strands rise and fall, fascinated by their texture. His eyes fell to her shoulder, exposed now as his shirt had slid down one arm in the night. Her skin was tan, smooth, and dusted with golden scraps of freckles, like flakes of sunshine. 

He breathed in, the sweetness of her scent heady in his lungs, and before he could stop himself he gently brushed his nose along the outline of her shoulder, and into her hair. She smelled like soap and light and something he couldn’t define. 

How had this happened? How, out of all the billions of entities in the galaxy, had she come to be here, in his bed, in his arms? Had something drawn them together, made their paths cross in a way which should have otherwise been impossible?

He wanted to know her more, to become familiar with all her habits, her fears, her needs, and her wants. He wanted to see that smile on her face at least once every day, the one that looked like a ray of light breaking through clouds, clear and bright. 

He also didn’t want to push her too much, or frighten her. She was still skittish at times, like a frightened lothcat, as if she didn’t quite know how to behave in certain circumstances. Ben considered what she had told him of her childhood, the harshness of it, how isolated she had been. He suspected there may have been more to it that she hadn’t yet shared with him, and he hoped that over time she would feel free to talk about it. 

So when she sighed in his arms, and began to stir, he carefully extricated his arm from beneath her, trying his best not to wake her. He rolled away and sat up, tucking the blankets back around Rey so she wouldn’t be cold without his body heat. Although it was spring, the mornings were still cool and brisk, the air damp with dew. Quietly he stole from the room, intending to prepare breakfast. 

___________________________________

Rey woke, slowly, as though climbing from a warm, dark nest. She didn’t know the last time she had slept that deeply. Sleeping in the old strider that had been her home was often an exercise in futility, partly because it was uncomfortable - too hot, too cold, too cramped, too hard - but also because she never allowed herself to sink too deeply into sleep. There were always those in the desert who would take advantage of any lapse in vigilance, stealing her salvage, her food, or even trying to use her body for their own disgusting ends. She had learned to fight at a very young age to defend herself, and employed her staff mercilessly to keep her fellow scavengers at arm’s length. 

Then there were the nights she couldn’t sleep because she was lonely. She would lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening hard for the sound of her parents’ ship returning, for the sound of their voices on the air, until useless tears had blurred her vision and she covered her ears, refusing to listen any longer. As she grew older she had looked for them less and less, appearing to others to have given up her childish dream. Some part of her still longed to be... loved, she supposed. To be part of a family; to be accepted and able to accept others. 

Her instinct was to protect herself, to keep others at bay, to guard her heart. With Ben she was taking a chance, putting herself forward in a way she never had before, and something in her trusted him, had wanted to trust him even when he was simply the writer of letters. 

When she had seen him for the first time, peering around the door at the hotel, she had felt a jolt of something run through her entire body. She didn’t know how she knew, but it was like she recognised him, as though she had known him before. Perhaps in some other life, if such things even existed. His eyes, so kind, and his sweet, crooked smile, had taken their place in her heart almost immediately, as though they had always lived there.

And now as she lay, feeling safe, rested, and cocooned in his house (their house, her brain reminded her), she wondered how she had been so fortunate as to have found someone in this vast galaxy who made her feel that way. 

A delightful smell drew her from her contemplation, and she followed it, crawling to the end of the bed and opening the door that led to the living area. Ben stood in the kitchen, once again creating something that smelled unbelievably delicious to her deprived tastebuds. There was no denying that even rehydrated portions tasted good after you’d had nothing at all to eat for several days, but this... there was a whole new sensory experience opening up to her. Her stomach growled, loudly, and she was certain Ben must have heard it. He didn’t turn to her, however, until the door she was leaning against creaked, and then there was that smile again, that lopsided, almost uncertain, sweet smile. 

“Good morning,” his voice was rough, almost gravelly, “I hope you slept well.” 

Rey felt herself flush a little, and smiled shyly in return. “Yes, thank you. I hope you did as well?” 

She didn’t quite understand why a similar blush suddenly appeared on Ben’s face, but he simply nodded, smiling, and turned back to whatever he was cooking. Rey wandered over in bare feet, feeling the cool air rising from the slate floor on her legs. Peering carefully over his shoulder, she saw that he was frying some kind of protein, along with what looked like root vegetables of various colours and shapes. He stopped for a moment to shake something from a small jar into the mix, and the savoury smell of herbs wafted up to her nose. Drawing in a deep, delighted breath, Rey hummed appreciatively.

“Can you teach me to make food like this? I’ve only ever really had to rehydrate portions before, maybe fry a little synthmeat, but there wasn’t much you could do to make them taste better.” 

Ben nodded. “Of course, if you’re interested. Honestly though, I’m used to cooking for myself, and I don’t mind doing it for you.” 

“You already have so much to do around here, I’d love to be useful somehow.” Rey set her chin determinedly as she spoke. Ben couldn’t help chuckling a bit at her expression, and nudged her gently with his elbow.

“It’s fine. There’s always plenty to help out with around here, believe me. For example, once we’ve eaten, I’ve got a tractor in the main shed that needs a bit of care, if you’re willing to have a look at it?” He didn’t miss the way her eyes lit up at the thought, the same way they had yesterday. He suspected that between the two of them, life was going to become just that bit more pleasant on the farm. 

___________________________________________

That night at dinner, Rey was trying to figure out how to breach the subject of clothes to Ben. She didn’t have anywhere near enough clothing to suit her new life, and she couldn’t continue borrowing Ben’s clothing. She had been pushing around the last spoonful of vegetables on her plate for a few minutes when Ben, who had been watching her with confusion, breached the silence.

“Rey... is something bothering you?” Rey started at the sound of his voice, as she had been completely lost in thought. 

“I, uh, I don’t want to be a bother to you, and I’ll pay you back as soon as I can earn some more credits, but I sort of...” she paused, and swallowed nervously. Asking for things in advance had never gone very well for her before, and she wasn’t sure if this would be different or not, “I don’t really have the right sort of clothes for work. If I could just get a new tunic, I’d be alright...” she trailed off, biting her lip as Ben shook his head. 

“Rey, I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right, and no, you don’t need to even think about paying me back for anything like that. I should have asked you while we were still in town.” As he spoke, his face became flushed, and Rey wondered why, even as she felt relief at his reply. “In fact, we’ll go tomorrow. You can’t keep wearing my clothes, even if they do, um, look nice on you.” There was no mistaking the blush now, as it had even spread to the tips of his ears that peeked through his hair. She felt her own cheeks warming in response, and hid them beneath her palms. 

“I'm sorry I didn’t come more prepared, it’s just, well, as I said, I had to leave in a hurry.” At her words, Ben reached across the table and took both her hands in his, squeezing them gently. 

“Rey, it’s okay. Let me take care of you, alright?” His eyes were so tender as he spoke, Rey could barely stand to meet them. It almost hurt her, to see this kind of look on somebody. Perhaps because she had no memory of anyone ever looking at her this way. Holding her gaze, he slowly raised her hands to his mouth, and gently, with the barest touch, brushed his lips to their backs. Warmth ran down her arms and flowed into her chest, and she couldn’t help the brilliant smile that cracked through the surface of her tears. Rey couldn’t even remember when she started to cry, but suddenly she realised tears were flowing down her face. Ben’s eyes were brilliant as well, his smile soft. 

They spent the evening much as they had the previous one, on the couch together, reading. Rey was still working through the book of myths and stories she had started the night before, and Ben was reading some large tome with what looked like wooden, carved covers. They sat closer together than they had the night before, and Rey occasionally peeked over in curiosity, wondering what he was reading. At one point, she had drawn her legs up beneath her, and without looking up from his book, Ben had reached over and laid one hand on her feet. Rey sat, face flaming, pretending to not notice, keeping her face buried in her book. 

After a few hours of quiet companionship, when Rey had begun to yawn, and the night air was growing cool, Ben finally stood. 

“Rey, it’s getting late, and you sound tired.” She smiled a little, and yawned again, giggling at the timing of it. “If you prefer, I can sleep out here, give you some privacy.”

Her mouth dropped open a little as she tried to formulate a reply. 

“I... don’t mind, if you want to - that is, you can sleep wherever, I mean, it is your bed, and I don’t want to make you feel like you have to sleep out here, I can sleep on the floor if it’s better...”

Ben put one hand on her arm, to stem the tide of words, and she stared at it for a moment, confused. 

“Come on then. Let’s both go get some sleep.” He stood slowly, as though trying not to startle her, and stretched, his hands reaching for the ceiling. Rey caught a glimpse of his stomach as his shirt hitched up slightly, and blushed a little. They made their way to the bedroom, Ben switching off lights as they went. As she passed through the doorway, Rey stopped suddenly, causing Ben to bump into her. 

“Which side do you - er, that is, where would you like me to...” Rey trailed off, and pressed her hands to her cheeks. Why was it so difficult to ask a simple question? She started a little as she felt Ben’s large, warm hand come to rest on her lower back, gently. That warmth then flowed upwards to her ear as he leaned forward and spoke into it.

“I don’t mind which side you sleep on. I’m usually all over the place anyway.” Swallowing hard, she nodded, and then did her best to put it all completely out of her mind as she got ready for bed. That consisted mostly of removing her socks, pants, and flying underneath the covers as quickly as she could, pulling them up to her nose. She stared at the ceiling and listened to the noises Ben made as he performed a similar ritual, trying not to think about which items of clothing he was removing. 

She felt the covers shift and the mattress dip as he climbed into bed next to her, and now she pulled the covers completely over her face. It was one thing to be carried to bed mostly asleep, but another entirely to get into it, knowing that her... husband... her brain still stuttered over the word - was climbing in next to her. Her heart raced, and she felt sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. A gentle tug, and Ben’s face was peering down at her over the edge of the bedcover. 

“Rey?” His voice was concerned. “If you’re not okay with this, I’m more than happy to sleep somewhere else.” Rey shook her head, clutching the covers to her chin, and tried to smile.

“It’s fine, I’m fine, I just...” she found it difficult to put into words. Her breathing became shallower as he leaned over her, his weight on one arm, and looked her in the eyes. His were so kind, so warm, glowing almost amber in the warm light of the lamp. She stopped breathing altogether as he leaned down, ever so slowly, and gently placed a soft kiss on her cheekbone. With a small, crooked smile, he moved over to his side of the bed, and turned off the lamps. 

Rey lay, blood rushing through her body at top speed, trying her best not to move. Ben’s quiet whisper came to her.

“Good night, Rey.” She nodded, before remembering that he wouldn’t be able to see her.

“Good night, Ben.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

It was torture, pure and simple. Ben had done his best the night before not to crowd her, to give her plenty of room to sleep. He hadn’t wanted to frighten her, or make her think she was being pressured into anything she wasn’t ready for. It had taken all his self control not to lean just a little further over and kiss those sweet lips of hers. The look in her eyes had stayed him. 

And now he woke, as he had the previous day, body twined together with Rey, as she slept peacefully against him. It was as though he sought her in his sleep, his body involuntarily seeking hers in the night. Her hair was spread out on his shoulder, and her mouth hung open slightly as she breathed, slow and steady. He slowly became aware that the hand that held her body against himself was resting on skin. Her shirt had hiked itself up in the night, and his hand had apparently crept up further beneath it, and was now against her stomach. He could feel the strong muscles of her abdomen shift a little beneath his fingers as she stirred, and his fingers spasmed a little at her movement. He lay as still as he could, not daring to wake her, as most of the blood in his body rushed to his groin. 

His hand twitched again, wanting to move against that soft skin, and he allowed himself a brief moment to gently draw his palm across her belly, his breath suddenly shaky. She stirred again, mumbling quietly in her sleep, and he held his breath, until he could tell she had slipped back into sleep again. He couldn’t help himself - her shoulder, with that soft dusting of golden freckles, was before him once again. Gently, carefully, he kissed her there, wondering as he did why he found this part of her so difficult to resist. Granted, his experience was not exactly wide and varied, and the last few years had basically been as dry as the desert planet Rey had come from. Finding himself increasingly uncomfortable in his sleep pants, he once again gently extricated himself from Rey, trying his best to leave the bed without waking her. 

_______________________________

When she did stumble into the kitchen, eyes blinking against the bright rays of the dawn that slanted in through the windows, Ben was already halfway through cooking a fluffy omelet. Loaded with root vegetables and herbs, the savoury smell filled the whole house. Rey sniffed deeply, appreciatively, and smiled at Ben. He smiled in return, pulling the omelet out from under the grill and flipping it once, before returning it to the heat. 

“‘Morning,” her voice was a little husky, and she sat herself down heavily. “Did you sleep alright?”

“I did,” Ben was able to answer honestly, for in truth he had slept very well. It was only the waking that he had difficulty with. “How about you?”

“I did too,” Rey looked a little surprised at this admission. “I don’t usually sleep well when the bed is too soft.” Ben had turned back to the oven at this point, and was grateful Rey couldn’t see the redness of his face.

“That’s nice. I’m glad to hear you had enough sleep. We’re going to head back into town today, and sort out some clothes for you, if you’re still okay with that?”

“Oh, that would be amazing. I can’t keep wearing your things all the time.” She laughed a little, ruefully, and Ben turned around to see her flapping her sleeves, the cuffs reaching far beyond her hands. A fierce thought arose in his mind that he didn’t ever want to see her in anything but his clothes. He was surprised at himself, and wondered at the possessive tone of it. Shaking his head mentally, he focused on Rey, smiling at the look of amusement on her face.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

He nearly came undone as they ate, when Rey took a huge mouthful of her food and groaned. The sound went straight to the base of his spine, as did her closed eyes and the look of ecstasy on her face.

“Oh Maker, this is amazing. I’m going to eat so much that I’ll turn into a ball one day.” Ben couldn’t help laughing out loud at the mental image of Rey rolling around the farm.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m just glad you’re enjoying what I make. And besides,” he paused to take a sip of his caf, “You look like you could use as much as you can eat.” He realised as soon as the words came out of his mouth how callous they sounded, and that was only confirmed by the way Rey’s eyes were suddenly drawn to her plate, shame on her face. 

“I know I’m not, well, beautiful or anything...” Before she could continue, Ben had stood and rounded the table, grabbing both her hands and pulling her up into his arms. She went willingly but simply stood with her arms hanging by her sides. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled against her hair, “that was stupid. I didn’t mean anything like that. You’re perfect the way you are.” He heard a sniff, and pressed his mouth fiercely against her hair. She smelled like sunshine and his bed. 

“I just want to take care of you. I know you didn’t have much,” he fumbled for words, “that you didn’t have anyone to... look after you, and I want you to feel safe here.” Her hands came up now to rest lightly on his chest, and he felt her body trembling in his arms. “You are perfect, just the way you are,” his arms tightened around her, and she burrowed a little further into them. “I don’t care if you do become a ball. Or whatever you want.” He heard a little chuckle here, and was encouraged. He kissed the top of her head again, gently this time, and felt her hands fist in his shirt. 

“Thank you.” Her words were quiet, spoken into his chest, and he only just caught them. They went straight into his heart and he clutched them there, determination rising in him once again to protect this woman, to keep her safe, to give her a home to come to. Even if she never, if they... it didn’t matter. This was her home now, and he wanted to share it with her. Ben took a deep breath, and let her go, ducking down to look her in the eyes, wet with tears. He couldn’t help the brief flicker down to her lips, but forced himself to focus. 

“Finish your breakfast, okay? Then we’ll head off to town.” She nodded, and bit her bottom lip slightly, drawing it between white teeth. Ben needed to get back to his side of the table, before he did something reckless. 

Stepping back, he ran his hands down Rey’s arms, and took her hands in his. Giving them a quick squeeze, he sat back down, trying to focus on finishing his breakfast, while Rey did the same. 

_______________________


	12. Chapter Twelve

Being the middle of the week, the town was quiet. There were a few folk here and there going about their business, and Rey felt a few curious stares directed her way. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, skinny and dressed in clothes that were far too big for her. All the women she could see were dressed well, in her mind, in properly fitted, clean clothes. Ben parked the speeder and Rey clung to his back for just a moment longer, her face buried into his back. Ben tried to twist his head and look back at her. 

“Rey?” His voice was gentle, concerned. Rey’s fingers tightened in his shirt, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nervousness. 

“I’m okay. Just needed a minute.” Ben didn’t say anything more, just sat, waiting for Rey to let go of him. When she did, he slid off the speeder and turned, hand extended, about to help her down. She was already standing beside him, and gave him a small smile. He returned it, and deliberately took her hand, lacing her fingers with his. She felt a sweet, warm sensation in her belly, and, bolstered by it, they walked together into the town. 

Ben seemed to know where he was going, so Rey let him tow her along. She stared around her, still fascinated by such different buildings as had been back in Jakku. Architecture, if there was any, had been somewhat ephemeral there, given that at any time the punishing, destructive sandstorms could sweep through and raze everything to the ground. Rey had been grateful for her fallen AT-AT, and had fought other scavengers more than once for the privilege of living there. 

Ben was directing her up a short set of stairs and through the door of one building in particular. A bell rang as they stepped through the doors, and Rey looked around her in delight. The place was piled high to the ceiling with bolts of cloth, in every colour and texture imaginable. Shelves were stacked with other items she didn’t immediately recognise, and some she did. Threads, buttons, trims, and other odds and ends covered all but the center of the long counter that stretched across the back of the room. A young woman, petite with dark hair and a sweet, round face came through the doorway behind the counter. 

“Ben Solo! Now, what brings you to my humble abode?” She looked pointedly at their joined hands, and then back at Ben’s face. Rey swore she could see his neck reddening. 

“Uh, hey Rose. How’s the husband?” The woman named Rose quirked an eyebrow.

“Hux is fine, as you should know. What I don’t know is who this delightful young woman is.” She swept out from behind the counter as she did, and Rey couldn’t help admire her beautiful clothes. She was wearing a deep blue tunic, split at the waist and falling to her knees, that was heavily embroidered around the hem with some geometric design. Underneath those Rey could see a pair of what looked like wide, billowy trousers, gathered at the ankles, in a deep orange like the last of a desert sunset. Rey had never seen anything so lovely and couldn’t help staring. 

Rose stopped before her and held out a hand. Rey hesitated a moment and then took it, returning the firm handshake. 

“I’m Rey.” 

“Lovely to meet you, Rey.” Her eyes twinkled, and she once again looked at Ben, who was now studiously studying the ceiling. “So, how do you know Ben? I’ve not seen you around town before this.”

“Rey is, uh... my wife.” As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the floor, and now it was obvious to both women that the redness that had begun in his back was spreading to his face. Rose’s eyebrows may have nearly reached her hairline, but her smile was genuine as she spontaneously swept Rey into a hug. Before Rey could decide how to react, Rose had moved on to Ben, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, no mean feat given that she was shorter even than Rey.

“Ben! You sly dog! When were you planning to tell us about this lovely lady?” The force with which she playfully punched his arm was betrayed by the wince on his face. 

“It’s kind of a long story, Rose, it’s hard to explain.” He rubbed his arm, looking sheepish. Rose had propped her hands on her hips, although she smiled at Rey. 

“Oh, I’m sure it is. And I’m sure you’ll tell it to us over dinner soon, yes?” He nodded, and Rose turned her full attention to Rey. 

“Now, what can I do for you today?” Rey stumbled her way through an explanation of what she needed, omitting details about why she had so little clothing. If Rose wondered at her tale, she said nothing, only nodding and smiling encouragingly. When Rey stumbled to a stop, Rose spun around without a word and practically dived back through the doorway into the back room, leaving both Rey and Ben to stand blinking. 

“Is she always...?” Rey didn’t quite know how to finish the question. 

Ben nodded. “Oh, yes. She is.” They shared a smile at this. After a few minutes Rose bustled back into the room, arms piled high with fabric, which she then dumped on the counter. Beckoning Rey, she then held out a bolt of some lovely, soft fabric in a shade of deep green. 

“Now, I think this colour will suit you beautifully. You’ve got such lovely hazel eyes, it’ll bring them right out. I was thinking some shirts or tunics in this, and we can do breeches in tan or even black, and then I’d love to do some dresses for you as well, how about a nice wine red...?” Rey was shaking her head, face distressed. 

“Oh no, that’s too much. I don’t need much, just a couple of tunics for work and another pair of these,” she indicated her cropped trousers, “I don’t want to be any bother.” She was afraid to look at Ben, wondering again if she was going to cause more trouble by spending too much of his money. 

She jumped slightly when Ben’s hand landed gently on the small of her back, then slid up to her neck, fingers resting ever so gently on the skin there. His fingertips were warm, although she couldn’t help the shiver that went through her body at his touch. He leaned down to speak into her ear, and Rose busied herself with picking through the pile of fabrics she had brought out, to give them a little space. 

“Rey, remember what I told you? Back at the house?” She nodded, slightly, and those gentle fingertips moved to her hairline. What was he doing to her? She felt strange, her knees turned to liquid. “I said it wouldn’t be any trouble, that I am happy for you to get whatever you need, okay?” Another nod, and she felt her heart beating in her throat. “Let Rose do this for you. She loves it, and she’s really good at it as well.” A final nod, and Ben cleared his throat, and slid his hand back down to her lower back. Rose spun around expectantly. Rey smiled, feeling a little awkward.

“That all sounds very nice, Rose. I don’t think I have anywhere to wear a dress though, so maybe just the trousers?” Rose beamed, and clapped her hands. 

“Consider it done. Now,” she grabbed Rey’s hand and towed her into a small changing room before she could protest, slamming the door behind the two of them. 

“I’m just going to take your measurements, alright?” Rey nodded permission, and Rose whipped out a long tape measure, wrapping it around Rey’s waist, thighs, arms, and to her embarrassment, her bust. Rose busily typed the numbers into a small data pad suspended from her belt, and when she was done, turned her bright eyes to Rey. 

“So... are you alright?” Rey was confused, and Rose tried again, “I only mean, it seems like there’s something kind of unusual going on here. Nobody in town knew anything about you, or that Ben was planning on getting married. I just want to make sure you haven’t been pushed into anything you aren’t okay with. Not that I don’t trust Ben, the man might be as big as a tree but he’s soft as blue butter...” she trailed off as Rey shook her head.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. He hasn’t done anything wrong. I just, we, I,” the words stuck in her throat for a moment, “we were writing to each other. I was planning to come and see him, in time, get to know him a bit better, but I needed to get away from... somebody, in a hurry.” Rose’s eyes became fierce at her words, and as she had done earlier, swept Rey into a surprisingly firm hug. 

“I hear you. Are you safe, now?” Rey nodded, not sure she had breath enough left to speak, and Rose let her go, holding her at arm’s length. 

“He’s a good man. Whatever it was that brought you two together, he’ll do his best to take care of you. And when you feel like you want to share more, or even if you just want to chat to another woman, I’ll be around.” She winked, and Rey felt tears spring to her eyes at the offer. She had never had a female friend before, or really anyone she could truly call a friend. 

“Thank you. I’d really like that.” The two women grinned at each other, before Rose turned and bustled her way back out into the shop. Ben looked at the two of them curiously, and Rose held up her data pad in explanation. 

“I’ve got all the measurements I need. I’m going to guess you need these sooner rather than later?” Ben and Rey nodded at the same time. “Well, if you two can find something else to do for the next few hours, I’ll get onto it, I’ve been dying to try out the sizing system on my new droid anyway.” She winked at them both, then turned, gathering up the pile of fabric and heading out the back. “Have fun, you two!” 

Rey felt as though she had just been picked up by a very small, very strong tornado and turned completely around a number of times. Her expression must have given her away because Ben chuckled, a hearty, deep sound. 

“Yeah. That’s pretty much how I felt the first time I met her. Would you like to take a walk while we wait?” He held out his hand as he spoke, and she took it, squeezing it gratefully as they walked back out onto the street together.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

The town center stretched over about a kilometre, so it was no great effort for them to walk up and down, Ben pointing out the different businesses there. The hotel she recognised, obviously, but there were many other businesses that fascinated her. There were yards full of farm machinery that she practically drooled over, small shops that sold food and drink that she had never seen or tasted before. 

One building, tall and narrow, turned out to house books, floor to ceiling, with a section for scrolls, metal engravings, and other weird contraptions that Rey had no idea how to use. Ben assured her that they were reading devices for some other species, whose ocular organs did not work the same as theirs. 

They stopped at a small street side stand that was selling something sweet, fried and delicious. Tiny circles of batter were dropped into a huge, boiling vat of oil, before being scooped out with a large wire spoon. The vendor has the air of a showman, flicking them all into the air before catching them once more, and pouring them into paper cones. He sprinkled them with some orange dust that smelled sweet and spicy all at once, and Rey nearly burned her mouth in her eagerness to try them. Ben laughed at the sight of her rounded cheeks, as she chewed the sweet treats happily. 

They were turning back to the street, empty paper cones disposed of and fingers licked clean, when they heard a voice from behind them. 

“Ben?” He spun quickly, almost guiltily around at the woman’s voice, and Rey turned with him, wondering who had spoken. Before them stood an older couple, the woman tiny and dignified, with a great crown of greying hair wrapped around her head. The man who stood by her side was tall, rangy, and something about his crooked smile reminded Rey of someone. Before she could connect those thoughts, they stepped forward. 

“Benjamin Chewbacca Organa Solo!” Ben winced. “What a surprise to see my only son here in town, without letting me know he was here. And with...?” Her voice trailed off suggestively, staring at his and Rey’s linked hands. 

These were Ben’s parents! Of course, now that she looked again, she could see how much he resembled his father. And he shared his mother’s large, soft brown eyes, although hers were currently snapping in anger. 

“Mom! Uh, mother... I’ve been meaning to call you, but things have been sort of - happening? And I haven’t really had time because, well...” 

Rey’s free hand went up to her mouth, trying her best to hide a smile at the sight of big, strong Ben Solo becoming flustered and speechless before this tiny woman. Not that she didn’t have a certain air of authority about her, a presence, something compelling. Rey recalled that she had been a politician of some kind, and was not surprised. 

Suddenly she found herself looking into the eyes of Ben’s father. The smile on his face was identical to hers, except he wasn’t trying to hide it, and he winked. Reassured by the roguish grin, Rey spoke. 

“I’m Rey.” Ben and his mother stopped talking as she held out a hand to his father. He took it, shaking it firmly. 

“Han. This is my wife, Leia.” Rey’s eyes widened at the name. 

“Han? Han Solo? THE Han Solo? The one who flew the Kessel run in 14 parsecs?” 

“It was 12,” he grumbled somewhat, “but yeah, I guess that’s me.” 

Rey had to resist the urge to start asking questions like a lunatic. Ben’s mother, Leia, had stepped into her field of vision. 

“Nice to meet you, Rey. So the rumours were true then.” Rey took the hand presented to her, looking confused. “We’d heard some talk about our son being in town with a mysterious young woman a couple of days back. We thought we’d give him the space to tell us about it himself but...” she turned a flinty stare to her son, “sometimes waiting for Ben to get around to something is like waiting for water to flow uphill.” 

“Mom, I was going to tell you, I swear. Rey only just got here, and I didn’t want to put too much on her straight away. She’s already been through a lot.” Those sharp eyes turned back to her once more, softer now. 

“Alright then, you’d better tell us everything.”

___________________________________________

The next hour was the most awkward Ben had ever lived through in his entire life. They sat around a table in Uncle Lando’s hotel restaurant, while Ben stumbled his way through an explanation. Leia and Han had both turned to Rey in surprise when Ben told them about their correspondence, in response to his advertisement (which he had also neglected to mention to them before now), and Leia’s hand went to her mouth when he told them of the day they met, and were married. By this point Han was lounging back in his chair, one foot resting on his knee, grinning from ear to ear. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the tale. 

“Like I said, I was going to tell you, but it kind of all happened so unexpectedly, in the end. I wanted to give Rey a chance to settle in, before she was subjected to this,” a wave of his hand between his parents and himself, “and before you scared her off.” 

“Nonsense. Rey seems like a very steady, reasonable girl. The only reason those other girls ran off was because they didn’t have two brain cells to rub together.” Leia sat back in her chair, looking smug. 

_Other girls?_ Rey felt her gaze drawn to Ben, whose eyes were glued to his lap, face flaming. “This is exactly what I was talking about,” he mumbled, almost under his breath. Rey took pity on him and reached over, taking his hand in hers. At her touch he looked up, startled, and then smiled - a small quirk of the mouth, but a smile nonetheless. Slowly, he laced his fingers between hers, and once again Rey felt that sweet warmth course through her. Their eyes stayed locked and for a moment, it seemed that the world around them was dimmer, further away, than it had been before. 

The sound of Han clearing his throat brought both of them back to the present. Rey looked down, embarrassed, and so missed the significant look that Ben’s parents exchanged over her head. Fortunately they were interrupted by the arrival of a meal, and although it was a little early for the usual midday repast, everyone at the table seemed grateful for the excuse to turn their attention to it. 

_________________________________________

After a few moments of silent eating, Han turned to Rey and launched into a conversation about ships, a subject of which she was, fortunately, very passionate. Her eyes lit up immediately, and both Han and Leia took note of how her face became animated, as she leaned forwards and waved her arms about. Leia took the opportunity to speak quietly to her son. 

“Ben,” she began, but was immediately interrupted by Ben. 

“Mom, I know what you’re going to say. I’m being stupid, irresponsible,” 

Leia shook her head at once. “Ben, let me speak. Please,” she added when it looked like he would interject once more. “Are you taking care of her?” 

He wrinkled his forehead in frustration. “What does that even mean?”

“It means, this young woman has clearly gone through a lot to get here. She took a huge risk and it could have all gone sideways for her, if you had been anyone else’s son.” Leia smiled, patting his arm. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Ben. I know your character, and even if you’ve made some... poor decisions in the past, I know you would never do anything to intentionally hurt anyone.” 

At the mention of his previous choices, Ben felt a sick feeling welling up in his gut. He didn’t want to be reminded of his past, of the mistakes he had made, the people he had hurt. 

“Ben.” Leia’s tone brought his attention up to her face, and she looked him in the eyes. “All I’m saying is, just... tread carefully. Okay? Rey seems like a wonderful girl, and your father certainly seems to agree.” They both glanced over to where Rey and Han were talking enthusiastically about compressors and rewiring and light speed maneuvering. “I know you’ve been lonely, Ben. You keep everyone at just enough of a distance that they feel it, and don’t quite know why. Don’t be afraid to open yourself up to someone.”

Ben wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Then he wouldn’t be getting this talk from his mother, at the ripe old age of thirty. 

“Mom, I promise I’m taking care of her, as much as she’ll let me. You’re right, she has been through a lot, probably more than she’s even shared with me. I’d never hurt her.” His voice was firm, and it seemed to satisfy Leia, who nodded in return. Inside, he felt anything but sure, still wondering exactly how to navigate this new relationship successfully.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The meal eventually wound to a close, Leia and Han taking turns to converse with Rey, both of them likely drawing their own conclusions from what they learned. When others began to enter the restaurant to signal the arrival of the midday hour, Ben couldn’t stop himself from glancing significantly at the door.

“Mom, dad, we really need to get moving.” He stood before they could respond, holding a hand out to Rey, who took it, looking torn between wanting to stay and wanting to go with him. 

“Ben, don’t you dare be a stranger. Alright?” The look Leia gave him could have cut through durasteel, and he nodded in response. “Promise?”

“Kriff mom. I’m not ten years old any more.” She didn’t relent, one eyebrow going up. “Alright, I promise.” Ben could have sworn he heard Rey muffling a giggle behind one hand, and felt his cheeks heat. 

“See you around, kid.” Han winked at Rey, and Ben felt his eyes rolling back in his head. Why did they have to be so, so... just so. Towing Rey behind him, he exited the restaurant nearly at a run, wanting to get back out into the fresh air. His parents had changed a lot over the years, as had he, and although they were nowhere near as abrasive as they had been in his younger days, he still found them overwhelming at times. Leia pulled out her politician persona at the most inconvenient times, and his father apparently had the urge to charm anything that walked on two legs (or more; he didn’t discriminate). When they reached the street outside, Ben leant for a moment against a post, closing his eyes and taking a breath. A hesitant hand on his arm brought him back to the moment. 

“Ben, are you alright?” Rey’s voice was hesitant, and he turned to reassure her. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” he took another deep breath and tried to smile. “I guess that could have gone worse.”

“I thought they seemed... nice.” Ben snorted at this.

“They were nice - for them, anyway. You got lucky.” Rey looked confused. “You know my mother was a politician?” When she nodded he continued, “I’ve watched her eviscerate an opposition member with words and those eyebrows. She makes grown men cry.”

“Who, your mother? The woman I just met? She seemed lovely!”

“Like I said, she was being nice. If she’d decided she didn’t like you,” he shuddered. Rey couldn’t help but wonder what experiences he was remembering. Leia had seemed perfectly nice to her, particularly compared to the few, very rough older women she had known back on Jakku. A little overbearing to be sure, but nothing that had caused her to worry. Before she could ruminate on it further, Ben had taken her hand once more and was walking her back towards the tailor’s shop. Rey had no idea what to expect once they arrived, the bell ringing once more as they walked through the door. 

As though the bell had summoned her, Rose emerged from the back room with a bulky parcel wrapped in paper. Rey’s eyes goggled a bit at the size of it, but she took it and held it to her chest. 

“Now, I expect you to get a lot of wear out of those, alright? I know what this guy is like, going through his clothes like he’s chewed on them, so I made everything nice and strong. If you need anything repaired you let me know, okay?” Rey nodded, and Rose beamed. “Don’t let him keep you all tucked away out there either. Hux and I would love to have the two of you visit us sometime. Well, he doesn’t know it yet, but I’m sure he’ll agree.” 

“Be sure to send him our regards,” Ben’s voice was perhaps a little smugger than it needed to be, and Rey wondered why. Rose simply chuckled and waved them out the door. 

Rey had no idea what it was like to have friends like this, and hoped it was something she herself would be able to experience. As they left the shop, Ben reached over and gently took the parcel from her with a smile, linking his fingers with hers. She didn’t think she would ever get enough of the feeling that his warm hands gave her. It felt right, like coming home, like everything she had waited for her whole life. Staring straight ahead lest the sudden rush of emotions that ran through her would give her away, she let Ben lead her back to the speeder, carrying her new clothing under his arm. He strapped it onto the carrier, handed Rey her goggles, and they began the drive home. 

__________________________

It was early afternoon by the time they reached home. Rey was starting to worry that there was work that needed doing, but Ben seemed unconcerned about missing the hours, so she said nothing. They climbed off the speeder and began to unload it, Ben having taken the opportunity to grab a few other supplies while they were there. Once they entered the house, warm afternoon sun beginning to slant in through the windows, Rey could hardly contain her excitement. She was almost hopping from foot to foot, and Ben chuckled when he noticed. He passed her the largest parcel and nodded towards their bedroom, ignoring the bloom of warmth in his chest at the thought. 

“Go on, try it all out. Rose is amazing at what she does; I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

Rey grinned hugely at Ben, and then scurried away, clutching the parcel to her. As soon as the door was closed behind her she fell upon it, tearing away at the paper and gasping as a pile of beautifully coloured garments tumbled out. She sorted through them, almost reverently. There were what she could only assume were meant to be work clothes, though they were finer than anything she’d ever worked in before. She held up the beautiful long and short sleeved tunics in earthy, neutral tones, and tried them against her body. The fabric was soft, tightly woven, and dense. There were trousers too - several that came to below the knee like her old pants, and a couple of longer pairs. All of them had roomy pockets for storage, and reinforced knees. 

There was a smaller package inside that was wrapped in a piece of scrap fabric. Rey opened it, confused for a moment at what lay within, her face flaming when she realised what it was. Rose had made her undergarments - ones she had definitely not asked for, but needed all the same. They were all made from a soft, stretchy, off white fabric, and even in their simplicity they put her ragged underthings to shame. 

Rey placed all these clothes aside, carefully piling them on one side of the bed. Then she moved onto the deeper, richly coloured items that Rose had made. There was one set that drew her immediately - a pair of wide, soft breeches, like the kind Rose had been wearing, in a deep, ochre red. They even had embroidery around the ankles and down the side seams, a kind of beautiful, flowing pattern that Rey had never seen before, in a contrasting brown thread. There was a matching tunic to go along with it - the same deep green fabric that Rose had initially held up to Rey’s face. Rey stared at it for a moment, running her fingers along the matching embroidery that flowed around the square neckline, before hurriedly undressing. 

Her clothes were thrown into a pile in the corner, and she dressed as though in a whirlwind, pulling on fresh new undergarments and, after a moment’s consideration, the wide pants and long tunic. The clothing fell softly on her skin, feeling worn-in although new, and Rey stared at herself in the mirror, her face glowing above the forest green of the tunic. Rose had been right - there was colour in her eyes that she had never thought existed before. She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling it down from the buns she had tied it into this morning, and shook her head, allowing it to settle around her shoulders.

Biting into her bottom lip, Rey couldn’t contain the tears that began to slowly leak their way down her face. She had never owned anything so beautiful in her life. There had been so little beauty in the harshness and pain, so little time to seek after or even consider it. Her small attempts at making her dwelling more homely, the dried flowers, the things she tried to craft for herself, had done little to stave off the desolation and loneliness. 

And now this! A home, offered to her without hesitation. Food, more plentiful than she ever remembered, never having to feel the pinch of hunger in her belly as she sat, huddled in her AT-AT on the third consecutive day of a sandstorm. Green, unashamedly and unabashedly all around her, life and water and abundance and fertility. Clothing she hadn’t had to trade precious portions for, new and fitting and comfortable. 

And Ben. What had made her pick up her holo-pad and read through those advertisements? She never usually wasted time on them, finding herself too exhausted of an evening to spend her energy reading pointless requests. There had been a feeling in her gut, a strange, tugging of her mind until she could ignore it no longer, and had begun to read. 

His advertisement had jumped out at her, catching her attention and staying in her mind, niggling. She hadn’t considered writing back until a particularly frustrating day where she had lost her salvage after fighting with another scavenger, and had crawled into bed, hungry once more, and sick to death of her life. Then she lay in the dark, nervously typing out her response, trying to sound educated and proper, the kind of woman a homesteader might want for a wife. 

She had never dreamed he would actually write back. 

Ben had been a shock to her eyes when she had finally laid them on him. He had to have been over six feet tall, and his soft, wavy black hair and commanding profile, face bisected with some old, long-healed scar, had struck her immediately as beautiful. She didn’t know why the word handsome was not what occurred to her at first, but the description stuck. He was beautiful, the way he looked at her so sincerely with those warm, brown eyes. The way he moved around the kitchen, cooking food for her that was unlike anything she had ever eaten in her life. The way he had invited her into his home, his family, himself. 

The way his hands felt, fingers entwined with hers. 

A tentative knock at the door startled her, and Ben’s voice sounded through the wood. 

“Rey, is everything okay?” She flung open the door before she could change her mind and stood, feeling awkward, as Ben took her in. His eyes roamed over her, from her unbound hair that framed her face, to her bare feet, not missing anything in between. Her face was once again on fire, this time from his frank appraisal, and most of all from the way his eyes darkened as he looked at her. 

“What do you think? Does it look alright?” She held her arms out to the sides, looking down at the flowing garments to get away from the intensity of his eyes. Ben’s feet stepped into her field of vision, and her heart sped up as his hand came under her chin, to gently raise her face to his. He was so close, his eyes looking into hers intently, his breath ghosting gently over her face. His gaze flicked down, once, for just a moment, and Rey found herself breathless. 

“You look beautiful, Rey.” Nobody had ever told her that before, and while it had never mattered before, in her life of peril and survival, it suddenly mattered very much now. When Ben leaned forward, slowly, carefully, she found her eyes sliding shut of their own volition. 

“I think I preferred you in my shirt,” he spoke softly into her ear, then chuckled and left her standing there, in the middle of the room, her face flaming.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Walking out of his bedroom and into the living room was the most difficult test of willpower Ben had ever experienced. His fists were clenched at his side, his breathing ragged, and his heart stuttered in his chest.

The sight of Rey, standing there with her hair loose and waving around her shoulders, her slight curves flattered softly by the expert fit of her new clothing, her eyes bright and cheeks glowing - the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her, violently, passionately, had nearly overwhelmed him. He held himself back by sheer force of will, his mother’s words echoing in his mind. 

He would not pressure her or push her into anything she was not a willing participant of, until she was ready. He felt the responsibility of caring for her, and wanting to protect her, mixed in with the blooming attraction he felt for her whenever they talked, ate together, or she simply smiled at him. It felt special, rare, like a delicate flower, this thing between them, and he didn’t want to crush it in any way. 

Ben schooled his breathing into calm, and his heart into some semblance of normal, so that by the time Rey came out, dressed in her new work clothes, he was able to smile sincerely at her without wanting to carry her off forcefully into the next room. She had tied her hair back once more, and Ben found himself mourning the loss of it. He knew what it felt like against his lips, soft and smooth, and longed to run his fingers through it, wrap the strands around his hands and gently...

He shook his head internally, forcing his wayward mind to come back to itself. 

“Do you like them, Rey? I told you she was the best.” 

Rey nodded, smiling happily. “Everything is so wonderful. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything this nice before. Everything else was just whatever I could find that others had thrown out.”

Ben recalled the state of her clothing when he had first seen her, and was not surprised. 

“Uh, it’s a little early yet for dinner, but how would you like to maybe eat outside, in the orchard?” Ben was rewarded for his suggestion by the light that came into Rey’s eyes. 

“I would love that, very much, but isn’t there work that needs doing?” Ben shrugged. 

“I think we can afford to take the rest of the afternoon off. Most of it can wait till the morning.”

“Only if you’re sure.” Rey’s forehead wrinkled in concern, and Ben longed to reach out and smooth it down. 

“I promise. Nobody is here to tell you what to do, Rey; it’s just us.” He had been going for a lighthearted tone, and it distressed him to see the flash of sadness that came into her eyes at his words. “Rey, look at me.”

She met his eyes, and he could see that the ghosts of her past weren’t very far behind her yet. He could only imagine what her drive for survival had pushed her to, and was determined more than ever to prove that her life here was different.

“He’s never going to have power over you again, Rey.” His words must have touched on the very thing she’d been thinking of, because suddenly her eyes were wet, and she was chewing on her bottom lip. One hand came up almost of its own volition, and Ben found himself cradling her jaw with it, sliding his fingers gently along the side of her face, his thumb coming to rest on her lower lip. As he did, her teeth released it and her mouth fell slightly open, and Ben could feel her breath coming unsteadily. He wondered if her heart was racing as fast as his own, as he leant forward, slowly, as not to startle her, and nudged her nose with his own. When her eyes fluttered closed, he allowed his to as well, and finally closed the distance between them. 

The fire that immediately curled through his belly was intense, as their lips met for the first time. She was warm and sweet and everything he had dreamed, and he felt one of her hands come up to grip the front of his shirt. Their breath mingled as the kiss continued, slow, shy, and more than a little shaky on both their parts. 

When Ben finally broke away from her to catch his breath, and leaned his forehead against hers, he dared to look at her face. Her eyes were still closed, screwed shut in fact, and her entire face was flushed and pink. Her lips were slightly swollen, and looked so delicious that he couldn’t help leaning into them again, to capture them with his own. In response, Rey now gripped his shirt with both hands, and his free one came around to circle her waist. She leaned against him as the kiss deepened somewhat, and Ben felt lightheaded, as though the blood in his veins had turned into vapour and left him floating. 

Rey was trembling under his touch, and Ben forced himself to slow, pull away, and make sure she was alright. 

“Rey,” her name came out in a rough whisper, “Rey, was that okay?” She didn’t answer, only buried her face into the front of his shirt, nodding once. Ben put one hand under her chin and tried to tilt her face up to his, so he could look into her eyes and be sure, but she evaded his gaze, keeping her eyes closed, her scrunched up face panicked. Making a decision, he wrapped her hands in his instead, holding them firmly to steady her shaking. 

“How about,” he cleared his throat, “how about we get some food together and go outside. Would that be alright?” Rey nodded jerkily, once, and Ben took that as a signal to step back a little, without letting go of her hands, and pull her gently towards the kitchen. 

——————————————————-

The sun had crept down the horizon as they ate, the sweet scent of blossoming fruit trees drifting around them both. Rey still couldn’t quite believe that less than three weeks ago, she had been on a planet that was the complete opposite of this one, breathing in the dust of the desert, sifting through the sands for salvage. Everything had changed so quickly, that there were times she thought she must be dreaming, that she would wake, alone and cold on the floor of her shelter, hungry and aching inside for lack of food and companionship. 

And now... there was Ben. Ben, who had taken her in, who had married her, who had selflessly given her so much already, who she still barely knew. Ben, who had kissed her so tenderly, so sweetly, that she had to hold onto him for dear life lest her knees give way under her. The thought of that kiss, her first, creeping into her awareness again, caused her cheeks to flush deeply, and she could only look down at her hands, at the sky, anywhere but Ben’s face. 

She did not know what had made him pull away, why he had stopped kissing her. Was it something she had done wrong, or not done at all? It wasn’t exactly that she was unaware of what a kiss involved, or other activities - after all, a life on Jakku had taught her many hard realities, very quickly. It was more that she lacked practical experience. Her whole life until now had been on the defensive, focused on keeping others at arm's length for her own safety. She was far more comfortable using her staff in interactions between herself and males, and had never really let anyone get close to her. 

So when they had packed up the dishes, folded the blanket between them, and made their way back inside, Rey was left perplexed as to what she should do. Was she supposed to ask him to kiss her again? Was she meant to be the one who initiated it? And why was it suddenly all so complicated? 

It had felt so nice, so much better than she had imagined it could. Kissing made little sense on the surface, after all, what was so appealing about pressing your mouth to someone else’s? Ben’s mouth, however, with its soft, full lips that had caressed hers so gently, so tenderly, was another story altogether. She had felt intoxicated, a wave of warmth sweeping its way through her whole being, and it was all she could now think about. Even as they cleaned the kitchen together, putting away food and dishes as though nothing had happened, she was aware of something that hadn’t been there before, a connection, a bond, an awakening. She had thought that perhaps Ben was unmoved by it, but his face, when Rey, instead of sitting on the end of the couch furthest from him, sat closer than usual, gave him away. His cheeks were also suffused with red, although he sat and read his book apparently unaffected in any other way. 

When Rey began to yawn, the words swimming before her eyes, Ben stood, holding out a hand to her. She took it, suddenly quivering on the inside again, and felt her eyes grow wide. Whatever he saw in her face caused a look of concern to cross his own, his dark brows lowering. 

“Listen, Rey, earlier... if that was too much, I mean...” his eyes shut for a moment, before he tried once more to express himself. “I meant it when I said that I would never ask more of you than you were willing to give. And you can tell me to stop, if you don’t like it, alright?”

By this point Rey’s face was crimson with shame, and she shook her head violently from side to side.

“It’s, it’s fine, I promise, it’s just that I’ve never really... that is... I haven’t...” Rey waved a hand between the two of them helplessly, trying to convey what she wanted to but unable to get past her embarrassment. She’d had so little physical contact with other beings, let alone other humans. She’d had to spend so many years keeping others at bay, that the whole experience of being close to Ben, the way he touched her, held her hand, made her feel at ease, was something she was finding difficult to process. It was like a thirst she had never known she had, the need to have physical contact with another living thing, in any capacity, and the strength of it frightened her. 

In response to the pleading look in her eyes, Ben gently pulled Rey to her feet, and, keeping his eyes locked on hers the whole time, drew her carefully into his arms. Rey found herself being held closely, a warmth radiating from his body that seemed to envelope her from head to toe. Her head rested against his broad chest, and she could feel the steady thudding of his heart as they simply stood, breathing together. After a few moments her own arms came up and, tentatively, went around his waist. His arms tightened a little in response, and Rey felt rather than heard the deep, slow inhale and exhale that came from his lungs. 

“It’s okay, Rey. For now, this is enough. It’s enough that you’re here. That neither of us is alone... that we have each other.” His words wavered a little, and Rey thought she could hear the tears in his voice. Her eyes welled up in response and she turned her face into his chest, allowing his shirt to soak up the moisture from her eyes. After a few moments, when their breathing had settled once more, Ben took her hand again, lacing their fingers together slowly and deliberately. He smiled at her, that small, crooked half smile that allowed his warm eyes to shine, and brought a sweet, boyish dimple to his cheek. 

“Let’s get some rest. We have a lot to get done tomorrow, you know?” Rey nodded, summoning a small smile of her own, as they made their way into the bedroom. 

There was a moment of confusion as Rey stood, staring at the chest of drawers, unsure of what she should be wearing to sleep now that she had her own clothing. There was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see Ben standing there, a mischievous glint in his eye, holding one of his shirts towards her.

“Only if you’re comfortable wearing it,” he winked as he spoke, and Rey couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled forth from within, releasing the tension that had been stretched tightly between them. .

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Ben.” She turned her back to him and dressed as hurriedly as she could, hanging up her clothes on a hook on the wall next to the drawers. She heard the blankets rustling as Ben climbed in, and quickly did the same, reaching out to turn off her light before she rolled over to face him. She could barely see his face in the dark, only the curve of his smile and the glint in his eyes. Slowly, as though afraid to spook her, he leaned towards her and softly, sweetly, kissed her mouth, then her forehead. Rey was afraid to breathe, but Ben simply whispered “Goodnight,” and closed his eyes. She did the same, and they both slowly drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Their days developed a kind of pattern and the spring progressed into early summer. They both rose early, Ben often before Rey, who had discovered a newfound passion for sleeping in somewhat, having never had the luxury of time before. Ben cooked, or taught Rey how to make some simpler meals, and they ate together at the table, planning their jobs for the day ahead. 

Sometimes Ben went into the fields alone, to check on livestock or the maintenance droids that weeded, watered, and fertilized the crops. Sometimes Rey came with him, riding pillion behind Ben, or taking turns driving. She took pleasure in being able to speed freely across the landscape, and felt a different kind of thrill at the sensation of Ben’s firm, strong body behind her. 

They watched the fruit setting in the orchard, tended to the hives of pollinators that swarmed around the gardens, and sometimes ate their meals sitting out under the trees, laughing together as they exchanged jokes or told amusing stories about their lives before they knew each other. Between the two of them, a deep respect grew and bloomed, like a plant thriving in the sunshine and warmth. 

Evenings were spent in quiet companionship, as they sat together, reading, watching the occasional holo-program, and even sometimes writing together, Rey watching Ben in fascination as he practiced his calligraphy. Handwriting was a rare art in this time and place, let alone a method that involved even more care and flourish than usual. Rey’s handwriting was legible at best, as she had few opportunities to practice, and little desire to do so. She watched Ben closely as he worked, and he tried to ignore the fact that his ears heated red every time she leaned over his arm. 

Their nights were spent in relatively peaceful sleep, the two of them gravitating towards each other in the night, like orbiting comets whose paths led them inexorably together. Rey had never slept so peacefully in her life, the nagging doubt and fear and worry that had kept her restless and awake most nights had disappeared, and in its place came a calm assurance that she was where she was supposed to be. 

Ben slept a little more restlessly, waking often to find Rey in his arms, and would lay staring at every part of her face, memorising her. Her fine, delicate profile, her hazel eyes, closed in sleep beneath arching brows, her sweet mouth that he longed to make his own. Her arms wrapped around him were strong and capable, he knew from experience. He watched her work beside him with admiration, as she was able to match him in strength and capability. She was quick, and clever, and full of enthusiasm for the things she was passionate about. 

Regular nutrition and a safe environment over several weeks meant she had filled those empty, uncomfortable spaces between her ribs and the hollows of her cheekbones. Her tan skin glowed with health and vitality, and the flecks of her freckles stood out even brighter against her nose and shoulders, glowing golden in the sun. Ben couldn’t get enough of looking at her. 

He woke first, before the dawn, and was always up and making breakfast when Rey, rumpled with sleep, came smiling into the kitchen. They would embrace, briefly brushing their cheeks together, before Ben offered her a morning caf, and her dimples would deepen as she drank, eyes smiling at him. If Ben was tempted to linger in their embrace, or brush his nose along her fine cheekbones until he reached her delightful ears, which he longed to kiss, he held himself back. He had promised himself he would take his cues from Rey, not wanting to push her too fast. For now he was mostly content with simply getting to know her, delighting in his discoveries of her little quirks and habits. Ben couldn’t remember being happier. 

___________________________

“We’ve had an invitation to dinner,” Ben spoke casually over breakfast one morning, as though mentioning a completely unremarkable fact. Rey swallowed her mouthful of food hastily, before it went down the wrong pipe, and took a quick swig of caf.

“Dinner? Where? And who?”

“Looks like Rose made good on her invite from when we saw her in town. She usually follows through with her threats, I’m just surprised it wasn’t sooner.” Rey’s eyes went wide at this, and she remembered that Rose had indeed promised to have them over sometime. 

“Does she... they, live nearby?” 

Ben nodded. “A little out of town, but not too far to drive. Her husband mostly stays home and minds their kids, while she works in her shop.” Rey felt her eyebrows rise at this. Rose hadn’t looked much older than Rey herself, although looks could certainly be deceiving, and Rey wondered how many children they had. Not to mention what kind of man her husband was, if he was willing to stay home and be the main carer rather than be paid to work. Rey had not known many males who would fit that criteria before now, although she had a feeling deep inside that perhaps Ben might be that sort of father. 

Before she could take that thought and examine it too closely, “I’ve never been asked for a meal before. Do I need to do anything?”

Ben shook his head. “Rose throws great dinner parties, and she’d be insulted if I offered to bring any food. All we have to bring is ourselves, apparently. Does that sound like something you’d like to do?”

Rey nodded enthusiastically, the thought of seeing Rose again suddenly filling her with excitement. “Oh yes, I’d love to. I really want to say thank you properly for the lovely clothes she made me.”

“Make sure you wear whatever your favourite is, she’ll get a kick out of that.” Ben grinned at her enthusiasm, and captured her free hand in his own, bringing it to his mouth for a brief kiss. “It’s not till tomorrow night, if you can wait that long?”

Rey kicked him gently under the table, grinning in return. “I think I’ve proven I can be very long suffering, having to put up with you and your cheek.” Ben placed one hand on his chest, the picture of wounded pride. 

“I know it must be torture to have to tolerate my quick wit and extremely hilarious jokes, but you’ll just have to suffer as best you can.” He stuck his nose into the air and huffed, which caused Rey to dissolve into helpless giggles on the other side of the table. He really did have a wicked sense of humour beneath his quiet exterior, and Rey wondered how many people got to witness it. 

The next day and a half seemed to crawl, with Rey swinging between nervous and excited. She took apart and cleaned the entire engine of their largest harvester, double checking each part, before lubricating it all and putting it back together again. Ben had to laugh quietly to himself to see her nervous energy and the way she chose to spend it. She had washed her favourite outfit and folded it neatly, weeded the vegetable garden next to the house, re-programmed the cleaning droid to vacuum the floor in a different pattern, and then spent a restless night tossing and turning next to Ben. When she rolled into him yet again long after midnight and woke him, he grumbled something incoherent and reached for her, pulling her against his body. Mumbling to himself, he drifted off again, leaving Rey still at last, but very much awake. 

His body, so large and strong, was also comforting and warm, and he had wrapped himself around Rey in such a way that his chest was pressed against her back, one arm under her neck and across her chest, and the other resting on her stomach. His fingers brushed against skin that had been exposed on her stomach, and she lay as still as she could, her heart racing, hardly able to breathe. When it became obvious that he was in fact asleep, Rey tried her best to school her breathing to slow down, and her body to relax. Eventually she did drift off, although Ben had already left the bed when she finally woke the next morning. 

By the time the afternoon rolled around, Rey was dressed and waiting by the front door, as Ben seemed to take an intolerably long time to get himself ready. As they finally mounted the speeder together, Rey had a sudden attack of nerves, and wondered if it was a good idea for her to go along. After all, what if Rose decided she didn’t like her? It wasn't like she had any experience with female friends to go from. She certainly didn’t have much to add to the relationship herself, unless Rose was interested in flying and repairing speeders and shuttles. 

Rey’s mind spiralled further and further down this path, until by the time they reached the sprawling, single story house tucked away in the crook of a stream, she had become resolved to ask Ben to take her home. Ben frowned when he dismounted and Rey made no move to do so, only staring down at her hands without removing her goggles. 

“Rey? Is everything alright?”

Rey shook her head without looking up at him. “I think... maybe I shouldn’t be here. Sorry but... can we go home?” Her voice was small, quiet, and caused Ben to gently lift the goggles from her face, and look into her eyes. Uncertainty, fear, and a lifetime of rejection lived there, and after looking into them for a moment, Ben cradled her face with both hands. His fingers combed into her hair, which she had left down at his request, and he tilted her face towards his. 

Rey’s breath stuttered to a halt when he leaned in close to one ear, and whispered, his breath ghosting against her skin. “Rey,” her whole body shivered once, “it’s going to be alright. They want you to be here. You deserve to be here. Okay?” Her eyes had slid shut as he spoke, and her hands had come up to grip the front of his shirt. She nodded, once, almost forgetting what she had been worried about, as Ben’s nose rubbed gently along her earlobe, then the line of her jaw, and down to her neck. Her breathing came in short gasps as he pressed his lips to the base of her throat, where her pulse thundered. Rey was just wondering how much longer her knees would hold her steady when the sound of a door slamming open jolted her back to awareness. A warm rectangle of light spilled out into the yard, and the laughter and shrieking of children came with it.

A strident voice cut through the cool night air, “Solo, stop pawing at your wife and bring her inside so we can meet her properly.”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Rey immediately let go of Ben and spun, face flaming, to face whoever had spoken. She couldn’t see much against the light coming through the doorway, except the silhouette of a man standing there, holding a child on one hip. 

Ben did not seem to want to relinquish contact with her, however, and slid one arm posessively around her waist.

“Shut up, Hux.” He grumbled as they walked towards the house. Hux stepped aside to let them enter, and now Rey could see a man, almost as tall as Ben, although not as broad. His hair, swept back immaculately, was red, and his skin pale. There was a sort of pinched, petulant set to his mouth, which was belied by the surprising warmth of his blue eyes. Rey found herself being appraised by those eyes, and forced herself to meet them without flinching. After a moment he threw his head back and laughed, and extended one hand to Rey. She took it and found herself suddenly in a half embrace with man and child, the little one in his arms sitting silent and observant through the whole process. His released her and stood back once more

“Oh yes, I can see what Rose meant. Come in, come in, dinner is almost ready.” Turning, he led the way into the house, and Rey followed, feeling somewhat bewildered by the whole introduction. A short hallway lined with doors opened into a spacious main room, a kitchen at one end, comfortable seating at the other, and a huge table, set low to the ground, and surrounded by cushions, in the center. 

“Rey!” Rose came bustling over from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She swept up Rey in another of her warm hugs. “I’m so glad you’re here! And let’s see,” she held Rey at arm’s length for a moment, looking her up and down. “I was right, wasn't I, about the green?” 

It took a moment for Rey to realise what Rose was referring to, and then she nodded. Rose gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then threw a wink at Ben, who simply looked amused. “Hey Ben, guess it’s nice to see you too.” Rose linked her arm with Rey, pulling her across the room towards the table. Hux was already seated there, the small, dark eyed little girl he had been carrying now sitting on his lap. Rose was gently pushing her down onto one of the round, brightly coloured cushions that were scattered around the table. Rey sat, a little uncertain, and glanced over at Hux, who was engrossed for the moment in a book full of brightly coloured illustrations, held by the hands of his daughter. He seemed to sense her eyes on him after a moment and looked up, his face still impassive but one eye sliding into a wink, much like his wife had done moments before.

Ben leaned over, and spoke quietly. “Are you okay now? See, they’re not so bad, once you get used to them.” As he spoke, a pair of children, red headed like their father, came tumbling into the room, shrieking and chasing each other around. 

Hux looked up, speaking sharply, “Vela! Haldus! We have visitors. You will try to remember that you are civilised beings, for once.” The children, a boy and a girl, stopped what they were doing at their father’s words, and stared at the visitors. After a pause, they both ran shrieking towards Ben as soon as they realised it was him. 

“Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben!” Ben had a moment to brace himself before they both flung themselves on top of him, arms and legs going everywhere. “Guess what Uncle Ben! We climbed the big tree behind the hill!” Ben managed to arrange them, one on each knee, as they happily chattered away. 

“Haldus fell down three times.” The little girl announced smugly. “I only fell once.” She hiked up her skirt a little to show an impressive graze on one shin. 

“I would have only fallen twice except you pushed me off that one time!” Haldus grumbled at his sister. Vela laughed and looped her arms around Bens neck. 

“Uncle Ben, did you get married? Mummy said you married the most beautiful lady on the planet!” At her words, both Ben and Rey blushed, and the twins peered around to stare at Rey. 

“Is this her? Are you our Aunt now? We have another auntie already, but Aunt Paige doesn’t live near here right now, so we miss her a lot.” Vela chattered away, smiling happily at Rey, her soft brown eyes reminiscent of her mother’s, and despite her embarrassment, Rey couldn’t help responding with a smile. 

“I’m Rey. I’ve never been anyone’s aunt before, or even had an aunt.” 

Vela regarded her with serious eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry. Do you have a mummy and daddy?” At her innocent question Rey felt her stomach drop. 

“I... well, I suppose I must have... that it, I don’t really remember...” Hux looked up sharply at her words, and spoke sternly to his eldest daughter. 

“Vela, what have your mother and I told you about asking questions?” 

“That you’re to stop and think before you do, Vela,” her brother chorused smugly. 

“That will be enough, Haldus. Go and help your mother get dinner served, both of you.” They climbed up from Ben’s lap without a further argument, heading for the kitchen, Vela with a downcast face.

“I apologise for my offspring, Rey. They are still young and thoughtless at times.” Something in his tone of voice implied that he himself had never been either young or thoughtless, and despite the uncomfortable feelings that the innocent question had provoked in her, Rey still found herself smiling a little in response. 

“It’s alright, really. They are lovely children.” Hux seemed pleased by her words, and indicated the little one still seated on his lap. “This is Adi. She doesn’t talk as much as the other two, although she often matches them for mischief.” The child stared at Rey from the safety of her father's arms, and after a moment gave a tiny smile. Rey was enchanted by her sweet face, and smiled in return. 

Hux cleared his throat and asked, “Would you care for a glass of Alderaanian red?” Rey must have looked confused, because he then clarified, “red wine. It goes excellently with the roast.” 

Ben slipped one hand over to Rey’s knee, and gently squeezed it. “You don’t have to have any if you don’t want to.” Rey had little personal experience with alcohol, partly because she had no way to afford it, and also because she had seen the effects of the cheap rotgut on the other dwellers on Jakku. Not wanting to seem impolite, she smiled at Hux and nodded. He stood, transferring Adi to the cushion he had been occupying, and wandered towards the kitchen, leaving Ben and Rey with his youngest. 

“Rey, I’m sorry. I know you said you don’t really remember your parents. I haven’t really had the opportunity to fill Rose and Hux in on... well, everything. I didn’t want to talk about your life with anyone else if you weren’t comfortable with it.” 

Rey glanced up at him, smiling gratefully, and placed her hand over his, squeezing it in return. 

“It’s okay, really, it is. I know they didn’t mean anything by it. I mean, it’s probably something pretty normal for a child to be asking, isn’t it?” Ben nodded, and Rey turned her gaze back to the small, dark haired child who was regarding them solemnly, with wide eyes. 

Rose came bustling over, carrying a huge, covered dish in both hands that she then placed in the center of the table. The children followed with armfuls of plates and cutlery, and Rey breathed a silent sigh of relief that she had learned to use most of them properly. Rose went back for more food, and a Hux came over with two glasses full of some dark red liquid, placing one each before Rey and Ben. Rey sniffed hers tentatively, a little unsure at the smoky, rich scent that flowed into her nostrils. She noticed Ben was not drinking his immediately, so she waited. 

A huge bowl of mixed green and vegetables, a dish of some fluffy brown grains, and smaller bowls of substances she couldn’t yet identify were placed before her, as well as a wide platter stacked with flat breads. When everyone was settled at the table, Rose reached out and took the hand of Hux and Rey, who she had seated herself next to. When Ben took her other hand, and the others around the table did the same, Rey realised this was some ritual. 

“We are grateful for this food, and for friends, old and new. Welcome, Rey.” Hux’s simple words filled some part of her that had been empty for so long. Rey bit her lip, determined not to let tears escape her eyes, and instead turned to smile at those around the table with her. 

Rose leaned over and took Rey’s plate, and began to serve her from the various vessels in the table. 

“I’ll just give you a little of everything, okay?” Rey nodded. “Let me know if you like anything and want some more.” Rey let Rose pile her plate high, trusting that everything would taste as good as it smelled. 

The conversation was light to begin with, mostly between Ben, Hux and Rose, with Rey interjecting occasionally. They spoke about the weather, about the food, and about the children, who fed themselves with noisy enthusiasm. Rey tried everything on her plate, enjoying all the new flavours and sensations, although she avoided the bright green sauce that Rose had placed on one side of her plate after it made her throat burn and her eyes water. She had grabbed for something to drink, and, finding only her glass of wine, had taken a hefty swig. It hadn’t assuaged the heat at all, and as soon as Rose had realised what was happening she had shown Rey how a few mouthfuls of the grains would help soothe the burn. 

The wine had burned all the way down also, and now settled in her stomach with a steady fire. It warmed her limbs also, causing her to relax a little more with every sip she took. She found herself smiling more and even laughing at the easy conversation going on around her. 

“You should have seen her face,” Rose was chuckling as she spoke, “when I tried to explain to her that I was in fact the owner and tailor. She spluttered and fussed and demanded to see the real manager, and that I was being ‘deceitful and rude’,” Rose put her nose in the air as she spoke in fruity tones, perfectly imitating the other woman. “Thankfully her protocol droid came past to let her know that her transport was ready to leave. I doubt she’ll ever come back here to the sticks ever again.” She winked at Rey as she spoke. 

“I don’t know, compared to where I’m from, this place seems pretty fancy to me,” Rey was feeling relaxed enough to contribute to the conversation. She missed the look that passed between Rose and her husband, and continued, “Jakku was pretty much the backside of the galaxy.” The children giggled at her turn of phrase, and she grinned at them, feeling emboldened by their laughter.

“Once I saw a man come into the Niima outpost from the desert, on foot. He looked like he had been wandering around for days without any water, and the first thing he did when he got there was head straight for the animal watering trough!” Rey made a retching noise, which made the children giggle once more. “There was a happabore drinking from it at the same time.” The children must have looked confused, so Rey endeavoured to explain. “Big, really big, tough skin, tusks, biiiiig snouty nose.” Arms waved about as she tried to illustrate. “Kind of smelly. Lots of drool. I don’t think it liked somebody else drinking from its water trough, ‘cos it shoved him sideways so hard he fell in, splash!” The children were laughing, obviously loving her tale, and she felt strangely proud of herself for amusing them. 

She turned to Ben, a grin on her face, and saw that he too was smiling, his eyes soft as he took in her happiness. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, and she felt a warm, soft feeling uncurl in her belly. Confused for a moment by her emotions, she turned back to her food, busying herself with eating, trying not to focus on the large, warm hand that she could feel on her back, burning through several layers of clothing as though they weren’t even there.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😏

Dessert was being served and the evening was winding down. Adi had since been taken to bed by her father, and the two older children were mostly engrossed in watching something on their holo-pad in one corner. Rey was starting to feel sleepy as well, the strange buzz she had felt from the alcohol mellowing into something else. She was leaning against Ben as he chatted with Rose and Hux, feeling herself begin to drift in and out of consciousness. Something Rose was saying caught her attention. 

“Can you believe Adi will be two in a couple of months! It feels like just yesterday she was born. That means it’s been nearly a year since Paige was here, also.” She sighed, Hux reaching out to stroke her arm.

“We all miss her, love.” The way Hux’s voice changed when he spoke to Rose made Rey’s heart clench in her chest. He was so tender with her, treating her as though she was something precious. It could have been her emotions heightened from the alcohol, but Rey felt tears spring from her eyes. She hid her face against Ben’s arm, which caused him to lean over and whisper to her. 

“Are you okay, Rey? Getting tired?” Not really trusting herself to speak, Rey just nodded. “We’ll make a start for home soon, okay?” He took one of her hands in his own, cradling it carefully, smoothing the back of it with his warm fingers. 

“I hope she’ll be able to come planetside before... well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone yet, but since you’re practically family, Ben, you might as well know. We’re expecting again.”

“Congratulations!” Ben carefully leaned around Rey and hugged Rose, a little awkwardly. 

“Hux has been unbearably smug about the whole thing, as usual.“ Rose chuckled, her eyes crinkling. “Anyone would think he was the one carrying this baby.”

“It’s not as though I am not at least partially responsible, you know.” He said acidly, and Rose poked him in the bicep. He smiled at her, fatuously, looking pleased with himself. 

“How far along are you?” Ben and Rose began to talk babies and pregnancy, while Rey sat, not knowing how to respond. She had no experience to draw on, had never been around a pregnant woman, had rarely even spent time with older children. There had been no sisters, no aunts, no mother to ask questions of. She buried her face even deeper into Ben’s arm, which caused him to put it around her instead, bringing her head onto his chest. 

“Rose, Hux, I think we’re going to have to call it a night. Rey is falling asleep where she’s sitting.” Rey didn’t say anything to correct him, allowing him to think it was sleepiness instead of sadness that was weighing her down. She allowed Ben to help her to her feet, and was grateful when he kept his arm around her waist. They said their good nights, collected their outer garments, and then they were alone again, out in the cool air. 

Instead of climbing on first, as he usually did, Ben lifted Rey onto the seat in front of him. When she turned to him in surprise, he smiled at her, gently brushing her hair from where it was falling in front of her eyes. 

“I’m a little worried you might slide off. I’m guessing the wine might have been more than you’re used to?” Rey nodded, biting her bottom lip in embarrassment. “This way I can make sure you’re safe, okay?” He climbed on behind her, and Rey was immediately enveloped in his warmth and scent. He reached around her to start the speeder, and Rey was grateful for the steadiness and strength of his body as they began the journey home. It had been an emotional day, full of fears and worries, then filled with happiness, new experiences, new people, and confusion. Ben tucked his chin over her shoulder, and she nestled in, content for the moment to simply sit, eyes closed, as the night flew past. 

___________________________________________________

By the time they reached home, whatever effects Rey had been feeling from the alcohol had mostly worn off. Now she felt exhaustion creeping in from her fluctuating emotions, felt it like sand weighing down her limbs. Ben pulled the speeder to a halt close to the front door, and paused, waiting for Rey to move first and climb down. 

When she made no such move, he gently pulled her headgear off and peered into her weary eyes. 

“Rey? Are you alright?” She blinked, slowly, unable to form words to express herself right at that moment, and Ben’s brow wrinkled in concern. “Hold on, I’ve got you.” He hung both their goggles over the handlebars, then swung himself off, scooping Rey up in his arms in one swift move. Rey simply looped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to be carried, cared for, cherished. 

When Ben had opened their bedroom door and made to put Rey down on the bed, she tightened her grip, shaking her head wordlessly against his chest. Baffled for a moment as to what she wanted, Ben slowly sank down onto the bed, still holding her in his arms. They sat for several long moments, breathing slowly, just holding onto each other. 

Through the haze of tiredness and warmth, one thought floated to the top like a bubble. 

_I love him._ It had been building, slowly, since the first day she had read his letter. it had been laid upon, brick by brick, every day they had spent together, every time they had laughed together, worked together. Every time he had cooked for her, read with her, solved a problem with her, comforted her. The feeling was so solid inside her, it felt more real than so much of her life had. 

She was still afraid - afraid that he wouldn’t return it, afraid that he would leave her, as her parents had left her. Afraid that she would find out she was being used in some way. Those fears hadn’t gone away yet, and she didn’t know if they ever would. But she knew she wanted to try. Of anyone in the galaxy, she wanted to try, with him. 

“Ben,” he leaned down to hear her whisper, and she tilted her head up, catching his mouth with her own. She was awkward, inexperienced, and clumsy, but she heard his breath catch in his throat and his arms tighten around her. She cradled his face with her hands, wanting to hold him even closer, wanting to consume him, to become part of him, to never be separate from him again. 

They broke apart, gasping, and Ben’s eyes, dark and soft in the dim light, were searching her face, looking for something there. After a few moments he must have found an answer that satisfied him, and kissed her in return. Without breaking the kiss, Rey turned in his arms until she was facing him, her knees either side of his hips. Ben groaned into her mouth, and in response he slid his hands inside the jacket she was still wearing, running them up and down her back. She let go of him long enough to shrug it off her shoulders and let it drop onto the floor. It was too warm, too stifling, there were too many layers between them.

While she was momentarily distracted with her jacket, Ben took the opportunity to press his mouth onto her neck, causing sensations she hadn’t even known were possible as he kissed, sucked, and gently bit the sensitive skin there. She slid her fingers into his hair, holding his head close so he wouldn’t stop.

“Been wanting to do this,” he murmured, and Rey felt the vibrations of his voice resonate through her, making her shiver, “wanted to know what you tasted like.” He nibbled his way back up her neck and sucked one earlobe into his mouth, sending a bolt of lightning straight through her, and causing her entire body to jolt against him. 

“Ben, Ben,” was all she could whisper, over and over again, until he claimed her mouth once again. This time she felt the warm softness of his tongue, moving against her lips, and opened them instinctively. His tongue delved into her open mouth, gently, persistently, tangling with hers and making her head spin with the sensations. Her breath, when it came at all, was in short, sharp gasps, and she felt as though she was flying. 

Ben’s hands began to slide lower as they kissed, until they were resting on her backside. Rey took his bottom lip in between her teeth for a moment, and when she gently bit down on it, he made a strangled noise, like the air had been driven from his lungs, and his hands spasmed, pulling her closer against his body. She felt his hardness between them, evidence of his desire for her, and without knowing quite why, rolled her hips against him. 

The jolt of sensation that shot through her was nothing she had ever known before. Tentative explorations of her own over the years were nothing in comparison to this. Suddenly she needed more, couldn’t get enough of the sensation, and moved her hips again. Ben answered with a groan.

“Rey, Rey... want you so much...” his hands had now slid inside her tunic, searching for more skin. Rey felt a little nervousness for the first time since they had begun, and pulled back from him to look at his face. He met her eyes, face flushed, lips swollen and red from their kisses. They both sat a moment, breathing heavily, looking at each other. 

“I, I know I’m not... very...” Rey swept a hand up and down her body, unsure of how to speak her thoughts. “I mean I’m just... just...” 

In answer Ben slowly lifted the edge of her tunic. He kept eye contact with her, waiting for the slightest indication that she wanted him to stop. Although she trembled all over, and felt her entire body flush with embarrassment, she kept looking into his eyes, trusting in what she saw there. When he pulled the garment over her head and threw it aside and she was there before him, her instinct was to cover herself with her arms. Carefully, but persistently, Ben took her wrists and gently moved her arms away, releasing them down by her sides. 

“Please, let me see you?” It was a question, not a command, and Rey squeezed her eyes shut, nodding. She jumped when warm fingers splayed across her belly, trembled as they travelled further up, couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her when they brushed gently across her breasts, causing her nipples to harden even through her undergarments. A small part of her brain that was standing back and observing, noted that she should perhaps thank Rose for those, when her own had been nearly falling apart. 

“Rey, look at me,” his deep voice was soft, but firm. She cracked open one eye and saw his face, that half smile she adored so much, eyes warm and crinkling at the corners. “You are perfect.” He leaned forward, placing a kiss on her jaw. “So beautiful,” he murmured, and his mouth moved lower, to her neck. She shivered, goosebumps raising along her skin, and felt her heart thundering in her chest. “My beautiful Rey,” now his mouth was on the swell of her breast, and he gently kissed down the side, kisses she could feel through the thin fabric. One long, blunt finger hooked underneath it. 

“May I?” Rey nodded, and his hands moved behind her, fiddling with the catch for a moment until it released, and slowly, tenderly, he pulled the garment over her shoulders, and down her arms. Almost the moment the garment was tossed aside, Ben leant forwards and took her in his mouth, tongue rolling over one nipple in a way that made her gasp and whine in a way she never had before. One strong hand went behind her and pulled her closer, making her back arch, and the other slid up her stomach to cup the other breast. 

It was almost too much for Rey. She had never felt anything like this before, never knew that breasts were for anything but feeding a child, was lost in the sensations. She rolled her hips in earnest now, seeking something, needing more, already feeling too much. She was helpless to do anything but grip his hair and hold on, as the feeling built within her like waves on an ocean, like the sun rising to its zenith. Ben responded to her urgent cries, moving his own hips in sync with hers, never letting up on his ministrations to her breasts. 

When the sensations had built to a peak, she cried out, her whole body spasming as they moved in tandem. Ben released her nipple and claimed her mouth once more, his tongue tangling with hers and his breathing as harsh as her own, his own guttural cries mingling with hers as they rode the wave together. 

Racked with aftershocks, Rey felt limp and ecstatic in Ben’s arms, as his kisses slowed in pace, becoming deeper, less desperate. Sweat was cooling on Rey’s exposed skin, and she felt a different kind of shiver make its way up her spine. Ben felt it, and folded his arms around her, bringing her close to his body for warmth. He was still wearing his speeder jacket, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

“Rey, why don’t you get comfy under the covers. I need to go and, uh... get changed out of these clothes.” He looked down at himself ruefully, and Rey became aware of the large patch of dampness on the front of his trousers. She almost leapt off of him, mortified, and was caught in his strong arms before she could fall onto the floor. 

“Sorry, er, I’m sorry, I’ll just let you go and...” Ben grinned at her words. 

“It’s fine. It’s more than fine. You get warm, okay? I’ll be right back.” He helped her steady herself and stood, shucking off his jacket as he walked out of the bedroom. Rey hastily grabbed her clothing from the floor where it had fallen, and threw it onto the top of the dresser. Removing her trousers she paused, staring at her underwear, unsure of what to do. Making a decision, she left it in place, and threw on Ben’s shirt that she had been wearing to sleep in. She leapt, dived under the covers, and huddled there, trying to process everything that had just happened. 

She heard his footsteps come into the room, heard the door close, the click of the lamp, and the creak of the bed as he slid onto the mattress. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, unsure of what to say, or how to face him. 

“Rey. Rey?” 

She hesitated a moment, and squeaked, “Yes?” 

Strong arms came from behind her and pulled her across the mattress, until she was nestled against his bare chest. Ben folded one arm across her chest, holding her to himself, and slid the other hand up and underneath the shirt, resting it gently on her stomach. Rey wasn’t sure what he intended, and squirmed a little. 

“Shh, it’s okay. You need to rest,” he kissed her neck, “I know how tired you were,” a kiss on her shoulder, “it’s been a big day.” A kiss on her ear.

“Ben,” she whispered, “Was that... was that okay?” He chuckled at her words, and she felt her whole body shake with it. 

“I thought I was supposed to ask you that?”

Rey couldn’t help the smile that stretched her face, and the answering giggle that welled up from her belly. Her laugh set his off again, and within a few moments the two of them were squirming under the covers, laughing at nothing at all, until tears ran down their faces. 

When they finally quieted, they simply lay, faces close together, breathing slowly, until they drifted into sleep.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

The sun was already creeping in through the window when Ben woke, unexpectedly relaxed and calm, Rey sleeping peacefully in his arms. The memories of the night before played back inside his brain, and he felt a jolt of pleasure at the recall. Rey had finally taken a step towards him, and they had, they had... 

Even more aware of the woman who was curled in his arms, Ben gently slid one hand experimentally down the length of one smooth, strong thigh. The other he curved up and underneath her shirt — his shirt — not stopping till he felt the sweet curve of her breast under his fingers. She jerked a little, let out a shuddering sigh, but appeared to still be asleep. 

Feeling bolder now, he brought his other hand further and further back up her leg, until he brushed against her undergarments. Tracing one finger along their edge, he hesitated for a moment and then slowly, carefully, dipped his hand under the waistband. Soft hair, and then further - and now Rey seemed to come awake all at once, as her whole body spasmed under his hands.

“Ben, what?” Her voice was groggy with sleep.

“Shhh. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” His hand dipped lower, into warmth and heat, and Rey’s whole body arched beneath him. His other hand was busy with one sweet breast, rolling her nipple beneath his fingers. Rey didn’t seem to know what to do with her arms, first gripping the pillow, or the covers, and even reaching back and grasping his hair. 

Ben couldn’t help himself - he bit down, not entirely gently, on her shoulder, and she cried out in response. He soothed it with his tongue, and laid kisses all along her shoulder and neck. She was undulating beneath his hands, a wave that could barely be contained. 

Sliding one leg between hers, he used it to gently open them further, giving him more access to her wet heat. Rey’s breath was coming in short gasps, and the noises she was making in the back of her throat were driving him wild. Feeling bolder, he moved his fingers lower and gently, as gently as he could, dipped one finger into her tight entrance. At the intrusion Rey’s whole body went taut, but when he didn’t make any further movements she slowly seemed to relax in his arms. 

Ben nearly came apart on the spot. He held still, breathing slowly, trying to control himself and not frighten or hurt her. He had suspected it, and last night had pretty much confirmed that she was totally inexperienced. He felt the weight of that, the pressure on himself to get it right, to make it memorable and something she would look back on and not feel traumatised over. 

Deciding to back off for the moment, he slid his fingers back to the top of her center and began to work, slowly at first, and then as she began to writhe and call his name he increased his pace. He lavished attention on the long column of her neck, her head thrown to the side in ecstasy, kissing and sucking the skin there. As she came apart with a deep shudder and the most delicious moan he’d heard in his life, he held her to himself for a few long moments, before pulling away his hand and rolling her to face him. Rey buried her face in his chest, breathing hard as she came down from her high.

“Good morning,” he couldn’t resist saying. Rey snorted and began to laugh from her hiding spot, still somewhat breathless. 

“I could get used to being woken up like that.” 

Ben chuckled in return. “Any time you like.”

“But, what about... you?” Now Rey looked into his face. “Do you need me to... do... anything?” 

Ben’s grin was downright wicked. “Well, now that you mention it...” he stopped, listening. In the distance, getting closer, was the unmistakable rumble of his father’s skiff. He would know the sound of that engine anywhere. 

Groaning, he clutched Rey to himself, burrowing them both deeper under the covers. Rey had begun to hear it now as well, and looked at him quizzically. 

“That would be my parents. I guess they got tired of waiting for us to visit and decided to invite themselves.” Rey giggled at the look on his face, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Ben turned his face at the last moment and caught her lips instead, rolling her underneath him and kissing her deeply. He couldn’t get enough of her, now that he had been allowed a taste, and even the prospect of his parents beating down the door wasn’t enough to stop him. 

It was enough to stop Rey, however, when the sound of the engine rumbled into the yard and then cut off, announcing their arrival. She pulled away from him, wide eyed, and then ducked out of his arms and out from under the covers, hastily gathering what clothing she could find in her panic. Without thinking, she went to pull the shirt over her head and then paused, noticing that Ben was not only still in bed, but also watching her. 

“Please, don’t stop on my account.” She blushed, and half turned away before she finished pulling the garment over her head. Ben was given only a glimpse of those sweet, pert breasts before she began to cover them with clothing once more. His arousal was almost painful by this point. 

“Come back to bed. Don’t worry about my parents; they’ll probably give up if we don’t come to the door for a while.” Rey giggled at this, but still continued dressing. As she pulled on her simple work tunic, there was a hammering at the front door. 

“Do you want me to answer it?” 

Ben frowned. “What would you do if I said no?” Rey grinned at that, her dimples showing.

“I don’t know what you’re so worried about. I thought your parents were delightful!” Ben simply grumbled at this, and began to reluctantly haul himself out from under the covers. Rey was fully dressed by now, and running her fingers through her hair to try to tame it. 

“I’ll tell them you’re still asleep, if you prefer.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously, and Ben shook his head. 

“They know I’m an early riser. It’s why they’ve come by so early themselves.” He sighed, and smiled at Rey. “I’ll be there in a moment.” She smiled in return, closing the door behind her. 

___________________________________________

Rey took a deep breath before opening the door. Despite her bravado, she had to admit to herself that the thought of Ben’s parents coming into their house was more than a little intimidating - especially after what they had just been doing. Rey hoped that her face wasn’t still flaming red, and she tried to think of other things to take her mind off what Ben had been doing to her mere minutes ago.

“Rey!” Leia swept inside the moment Rey opened the door, sweeping her into a hug that was stronger than expected. “Forgive us for coming by unannounced, it seems my only son has forgotten how to use a communicator.” Behind her, Han slouched against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, grinning that half smile that was now more familiar to her. He caught her gaze and shrugged, as if to say “what can you do?”, and followed his wife inside. 

“Please, come in and sit. Have you... have you had breakfast at all? We haven’t eaten yet but I’m sure Ben,” her voice faltered for a moment as she glanced at their closed bedroom door, “Er, I’m sure Ben would be happy to make you something to eat.” 

Leia beamed at her daughter in law, as she sat herself down at the large kitchen table. “Why, that would be lovely.” Han slid in next to her, and winked at Rey. 

“I can get you some caf, while you wait?” Rey bustled nervously over to the kitchen, fidgeting with the caf machine, getting several mugs from the cupboard, and covertly glancing at their bedroom door every few moments. 

She had a mug of what she hoped was acceptable caf in each hand when the door finally opened, and Ben emerged looking well groomed and put together in clean work clothes. He had even taken time to comb his often unruly hair, which fell to his shoulders. Only Rey noticed that the tip of one ear peeking out from his hair was bright red. 

“Hello mom, dad. Was this really necessary?” He pulled out a chair and reversed it, straddling it with his arms folded over the back. 

“What on earth do you mean? Thank you Rey, dear.” Leia smiled as she accepted the mug from Rey, taking a sip before turning to Ben. “This is the kind of thing families do, you know? Visit each other, occasionally.” Her look was pointed, and Rey saw Ben grimacing. 

“Okay fine, you’ve made your point. Have you at least had breakfast?” 

“We thought we could eat together for a change, you know, make up for all those missed dinners you promised?” Ben rolled his eyes at this, then stood, sighing deeply. 

“Fine, I’ll make us something.” 

Leia stood also, giving some kind of significant look to Han. “Let me help as well. It’ll go faster with the two of us. Rey, dear,” she turned and smiled, “why don’t you take Han out to the shed while we work. You two can talk engines while we cook.” 

Rey frowned, a little confused at this. “Are you sure? I’m happy to help.”

“C’mon kiddo,” Han spoke for the first time. “Have you been handling that damn tractor of Ben’s alright? He’s complained about the engine more that once, but he won’t let me touch it.”

Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm at that, and she followed him out the door, chattering happily. 

_________________________________

Leia stood and began puttering around the kitchen, banging cupboards and rattling plates, making a lot of noise but accomplishing nothing, really. Ben leaned against the counter, arms folded, and waited for her to finish fidgeting.

“So, are you going to tell me why you’re here? I get the feeling this is more than just a friendly visit.” 

“Nonsense. If we had waited for you to bring our daughter in law around, we might have expired of old age first. Surely I’m allowed to get to know her without you getting suspicious?”

Ben raised one eyebrow. “Mom, maybe Rey doesn’t know it yet, but you’re terrible at cooking. You obviously wanted her out of the room.” 

Leia stopped racketing about the kitchen and stood, the expression on her face suddenly so serious, that it made Ben stand straight, unfolding his arms, worry beginning to niggle at him. 

“What... what happened.” 

Leia looked up at her son who towered over her. “I didn’t want to tell you until I could confirm it but just to be safe... there are rumours. Several of your father’s old friends have mentioned it, as well as hearing through some of my old Senate friends.”

“Mom, can you please get to the point?”

“It’s Snoke.” At the mention of that name, the bottom seemed to drop out from Ben’s stomach. He felt a wave of nausea begin to wash over him, and swallowed. Leia reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. 

“Sweetheart, you’ve gone white as a sheet. Not that I blame you one bit. Come, sit down and I’ll tell you what I know.”

Mechanically, Ben made his way over to the table, sitting heavily down onto a seat. Leia sat across from him, her face full of compassion. 

“There are rumours,” she began, “that his business is bringing him to this quadrant of the galaxy. Nobody seems to have a clear answer on what or who his intended goal is, just that he’s been seen, with his usual crew, making his way through spaceports and asking a lot of questions. Now,” she patted his hand, “we’ve done everything we could to make sure that nobody here knows the name you were going by when, when... when you worked for him.” For the first time Leia faltered, her eyes growing wet with remembered sadness. Ben could only lower his forehead onto his arms, heavy with regret. 

“That past is well behind you, and we’ve all worked hard to keep it that way. And you know we’ll do anything to protect you, don’t you?” Her voice was earnest and Ben looked into her eyes, seeing the determination and strength that he’d known all his life. “And Rey as well. Apologies if we may have... interrupted you this morning.” A little mirth returned to her face, and she chuckled. 

This only made Ben groan more. “Mother, honestly.” 

“In all seriousness, how are you two going? Is she settling in, doing all right?”

“She’s doing fine, mom. She’s been through a lot, as you can imagine, but I like to think we’re not doing terribly at marriage.”

Leia chuckled once more. “Well, you always have a perfect example in your father and I as to how not to behave. I like to think we’re educational in some ways.” 

“Yeah, you’re real shining lights.” Ben’s voice was dry. “In all seriousness, thank you for letting me know. I’ll have to tell Hux, of course. Damn, he’s going to go insane.”

“How are those two, by the way?” 

“Expecting again. This’ll be number four.” 

Leia’s eyebrows went up a little, but she smiled. “Obviously the two of them are trying to make up for not having large families of their own. Feel free to produce a grandchild or two when the moment is right, Ben.”

Ben stood abruptly with a screech of chair legs, and stalked into the kitchen. “How about we stick to breakfast for now.” The sound of his mother’s laughter followed him.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Rey was waxing enthusiastic with Han out in the shed, chattering happily about how she’d “bypassed the compressor” during her latest repair job and answering questions animatedly. Not that Han was much for conversation, but he knew when to ask and when to listen, and didn’t make her feel like she was ridiculous for getting so enthused about machinery. 

After a little while, when there was a natural silence, Han stuck both hands in his pockets and scuffed his feet on the duracrete floor. He cleared his throat once or twice, seemingly trying to form his thoughts into words. 

“So, Rey, sorry we kinda dropped in on you like this. When Leia gets an idea in her head there isn’t much that can stop her from acting on it, you know?” He gave Rey a wry grin, which she returned.

“I think I know what you mean. It’s ok, I know Ben said we would come by, and we haven’t really kept that promise.” 

“Is he... is he taking care of you right? Behaving himself, all that?” 

Rey tried really, really hard to not think about the night before, and indeed that morning. 

“He’s a good man, your son.” Her voice was soft, though she meant every word. 

“He is. You might not know it, unless he’s told you, but he kind of got... mixed up with a bad crowd, some years back. Got pushed into doing some stuff that he’s not exactly proud of.” Han huffed. “Maybe I’m puttin’ it too mildly, but I figure it’s his business to tell you what happened. He needed some help getting out of it, and maybe the only good thing I’ve done in my life was helping to bring him home.” 

At his words Rey felt a stab of discomfort twist in her belly. Why was he telling her this? And was this where the scar on Ben’s face came from? She had often wondered about it, but was somewhat afraid to ask. 

“Look, I’m probably putting my foot in it here, but I just wanted to say I’m glad the two of you got married, even if it was kinda out of the blue. Kid deserves a few breaks in life, and he’s worked hard the last few years. I reckon the two of you are good for each other. You both look happy.” 

“I think we are.” Whatever rose she had wanted to say was interrupted by the voice of Leia floating across the yard. 

“Breakfast is ready! Get your heads out of the engine and wash your hands, you two.” 

Han and Rey grinned at each other, and started walking back to the house. 

_________________________________

The meal had passed pleasantly enough, with mostly polite conversation and good food. Han and Leia took their leave, waving through the windscreen of their skiff, and they lifted off and flew across the landscape. 

The moment they were out of sight, Ben turned and took Rey’s face in his hands, lifting her mouth up to his. She returned the kiss eagerly, winding her arms around his neck and standing on her toes to reach him better. After a few moments he broke free, laughing ruefully. 

“As much as I’d like to continue this, I really need to see to the south pasture. A couple of the animals there have been showing possible signs of hoof rot, and I really can’t put it off any longer.” Leaning down he placed several soft, slow kisses along her throat, causing Rey to tilt her head sideways, her eyes closing. “On the other hand...” he murmured, and Rey giggled.

“It’s alright. Just... get done as fast as you can, alright?”

“Do you want to come with me? It’s not very exciting, but you’re always welcome.”

Rey shook her head. “I was going to do some harvesting in the house garden today. The greens are about to go to seed if I don’t see to them, and the beans are starting to tip over the trellis.”

“Well then. Let’s see how fast we can finish our respective tasks — wife.” Now he kissed her slowly, deeply, tongue tangling with hers until they both had to surface for air, gasping. “The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can move on to... other tasks.” He winked, and jumped onto the speeder, starting the engine and peeling out of the yard before Rey could collect herself. 

“Well then, indeed,” she muttered to herself, turning back to the house to collect her hat and tools. 

_______________________________

The sun was high in the sky before Rey allowed herself to stop working and take a break. She’d been piling up the earth around the tubers, covering the lower stems the way Ben had shown her. They still had a good month to go yet, perhaps longer, before they would be harvested, but there were plenty of other vegetables and fruits that were ripening fast as the days lengthened. 

The joy she got from watching things grow, from being surrounded by greenery, from being able to pick and eat straight from the source, was difficult to describe. It filled her like sunshine, and she felt so much satisfaction in seeing the fruits of her labour, literally and figuratively. Years of dusty dryness, of never having fresh food, of struggling for whatever she could get her hands on — it did not make all of that go away, but it softened it, just a little. 

Rey didn’t begrudge one drop of sweat from her brow. She used her strength now to bring life, rather than destruction. Leaning the hoe up against the fence, she took a moment to pull off her sun hat, using it to fan herself. Leaning down, she picked a long green legume pod from a vine, popping it into her mouth to chew raw. As she was doing so, a faint rumbling of an engine began to fade in from the distance. 

Fully expecting it to be Ben returning for the midday meal, Rey spun around joyfully, coming to an abrupt halt when a shuttle, black and angular and like nothing she had ever seen before, descended from the clear sky to land in the yard. 

Rey weighed her options for a moment. She could certainly run, but wasn’t entirely sure where she could go to be safe. Her other option was to stand her ground, see who had arrived. After all, it was no guarantee that it held unfriendly visitors. Her hands longed for her sturdy quarterstaff, currently leaned up beside the door, inside the house. Instead she picked up the heftiest tool she could reach, spinning the metal rake to test its balance, as the door hissed open. 

For a moment there was nothing, then swiftly, six masked men all in black disembarked, eyes on her and spreading out in formation to surround the garden. 

Without giving herself time to think, Rey spun around and swung her weapon low, intending to take the closest one out below the knees. Perhaps he was not expecting her to be as swift as she was, but years of fighting for her life in the desert had honed her reflexes. All the old instincts kicked in as she watched the first man crumple and drop his curved sword, and swung the rake back to herself, prepared to strike again. It was not the first time she had to defend herself against more than one attacker. 

Forewarned, the others advanced more cautiously, weapons held at the ready. A hulking brute with a mace swung at her, swinging low to take her down at the knees. Rey leapt, swift and agile, avoiding the blackened metal and swinging the blunt side of the rake up and under where she assumed his chin to be. He too fell back but wasn’t incapacitated, merely scrabbled to his feet and swung his weapon, menacingly. 

Rey sensed air moving behind her and ducked a fraction too late, the staff that had been on a collision course with the back of her head just clipping her ear. Blood must have been flowing down the side of her face, although her mind barely registered it, tucking herself low and rolling past the man's legs. 

A boot caught her sharply in the ribs before she could rise and strike another blow, and pain radiated from her side immediately. Another boot kicked her legs, and she curled up, trying to shield herself from the blows that now came raining from all directions. 

“Enough!” thundered a voice, presumably from the shuttle. In a haze of pain, Rey could not place it, although it boomed, powerful, across the yard. “Your instructions were to retrieve the bounty with no permanent damage. If you are quite done damaging the goods, we need to leave. Now.” 

Before she could twist to look at the person who had spoken, a swift blow to the side of her head caused everything to fade into blackness.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Ben’s heart had never felt so light. He trimmed hooves, applied fungicide, and cheerfully slapped the beasts on their rumps once he was done with each of them. A dose of the treatment was given to the bot in charge of that field, to be sprayed on the ground in the morning. He hummed to himself, a tune that hadn’t come to him in years. It was a song of Alderaan, the planet his mother was raised on. 

Excitement sizzled through his veins, as he realised that he was done before time, and without stopping to pull on his helmet, he swung onto the speeder and headed for home. It wasn’t quite noon, and perhaps he could talk Rey into heading inside for an early lunch. Grinning to himself, he whooped as he kicked the speeder into a sharp loop around a tree. 

Drawing nearer to home, he began to get a strange feeling in his gut. He couldn’t place it, couldn’t see or hear anything that would cause it, but it was there nonetheless. The feeling grew as he drew closer to the house, and realised he couldn’t see Rey out in the garden. Perhaps she was already inside, cleaning up or preparing their meal? 

With a cloud of dust, he pulled up close to the front door. Now he could see that it hung open, moving gently in the breeze. With a suddenly beating heart he advanced, slowly, carefully, his eyes darting about. 

The scene behind the door made his stomach drop to his feet. It was chaos, wanton destruction simply for the sake of it, malicious in intent. Books had been torn from the shelves and scattered about, pages shredded and fluttering on the floor. The soft furnishings had all been slashed into pieces, cloth and stuffing laying everywhere like clouds. The table was overturned, and a number of the chairs smashed. Every dish had been removed from the cupboards and broken on the floor, shards of pottery and glass underfoot. Ben was suddenly terrified to walk into their bedroom, but forced himself to step one foot in front of the other, needing to know. 

The destruction there was just as great. The mattress had great holes torn in it, blankets torn and shredded, pillows destroyed. The drawers had been opened and all their clothes taken and scattered about, all Rey’s beautiful new things from Rose destroyed. He walked back out into the living room, as though in a daze. Laying amongst the scattered books and papers were shreds of a fabric that somehow looked familiar. With a jolt he realised it was the dress he had bought for Rey, before he had even met her, and had never had the chance to give her.

Ben stood, numb, not understanding. Who had done this? Where was Rey — where was his wife?

He turned, and sprinted back outside, heading for the vegetable garden. Now he could see where the neatly planted vegetables had been torn from their rows and scattered about, as though many boots had trampled the ground. Tools were littered about, a rake broken in half. The print of many feet, heading for the yard, where the scorch marks of dirty engines had left their mark on the ground. The words of his mother from that morning returned to him. 

_“It’s Snoke.”_

Ben felt panic well up inside him. He had left that life behind. Nobody was supposed to know he was here, he had made sure nobody would know he was here, how did they find him, what were they going to do to Rey... a shaking hand lifted to his face, and traced the scar that ran across it. He could feel his pulse even to his fingertips, and closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe deeply and slowly. 

He needed to contact his parents. Perhaps Leia’s informants would have information that would be useful. And he needed to let Hux and Rose know of the danger. He didn’t know if Snoke was also aware of Hux’s whereabouts, but if he did, there would be trouble. 

He sprinted to the speeder, took a moment to throw on his safety gear and glance at the power cell reading, then peeled out of the yard without looking back. 

____________________________

Rey was cold. She drifted, not really aware of her surroundings, only aware of the pain that broke in slow, hot waves over her body. 

Gradually she became aware that she was laying on a cold, hard surface. Had she fallen while salvaging, and managed to get herself back to her shelter before falling unconscious? Or had she been beaten by a rival scavenger, or perhaps a group, though she couldn’t remember it happening. 

With a groan, she moved an arm, slowly, to try and feel about for her blanket. Her whole body ached with the cold now, on top of her other injuries. Her questing hand found no rough woven blanket, and as she searched she slowly became aware of an important detail - the floor beneath her vibrated, and a deep, throbbing hum sounded from somewhere below. 

Eyes opened now, but still blackness all around. It was as though she was trapped inside her own mind, unable to see anything unable to get her bearings. Feeling her heartbeat increase rapidly, she forced herself to sit up, slowly, hissing as her body adjusted to the new angles. Each change in position caused pain to bloom from new places — now her arm, the side of her head, her jaw, her ribs.

An exploratory arm behind her produced what she assumed was a wall. Crawling carefully, Rey discovered she was in a small room, only slightly longer than she was tall. Not a single iota of light shone anywhere, not even around a door, and Rey felt panic rising again. 

She had fallen. She remembered now, the time that she had been crawling through the bowels of a giant star destroyer, searching for parts her clumsier rivals might not have found. At twelve years of age she was whipcord-thin and toughened under the desert sun, agile as a monkey. She had slipped, and slid down a long, perilous slope, until she had broken through a chunk of rusted metal and fallen into a small room, the fall knocking her unconscious. 

When she had woken, it was dark, the blackness so complete she hadn’t been able to see her hand in front of her face. Panic had struck her and she had screamed, over and over, calling for help, scrabbling up the walls until she had slid down once more, sobbing in a heap. 

She had called for her mother, something she had not done for years. 

When the sun rose and she realised where she was, she had forced herself to stay calm, to conserve what energy she had left. There was always the chance that others would come here to scavenge, she would just have to try and get their attention. 

She heard noises throughout the day, muffled banging, scraping, once she was even sure she heard voices. But no matter how loud she called for help, none came. 

By sunset, exhausted, dehydrated, and determined, she had decided her path. There were several patches of rusted metal along the sides of the walls that contained her. Rey had no weapons on her, her quarterstaff far away, and no other tools. Tearing her cloth wraps from around her arms, she wrapped her fist in them, as tightly and with as many layers as possible. 

Taking a deep breath, Rey swung her hand back and punched as hard as she could at the nearest patch of rust. It didn’t give way, but shuddered and flaked under the blow. Rey swung again and again, pain lancing up her arms, until the beleaguered metal gave way, creating a foothold. She repeated this, in as many places as she could, tears streaming unnoticed down her face, fist burning with agony, and began to climb. 

It was almost dawn again when she finally hauled herself, shaking, weeping, but alive, over the edge of the pit. She lay, panting, and swimming in and out of consciousness, until the growing warmth and light reminded her that the full heat of day was coming.

She did not remember after how she dragged herself to her speeder, or even how she made it home. She had stumbled inside and immediately grabbed her carefully hoarded water supply, slowly trickling it a few drops at a time into her mouth, careful not to take too much, knowing it would be wasted by vomiting if she did. It had taken several days of careful nursing, digging into her emergency supply of portions, and slowly rationing her water, for her to recover. 

Only to have Plutt laugh when he saw her next, and joke that he was sure she’d been buried in a sand dune somewhere by now. 

But, if she remembered getting out of there... then surely that’s not where she still was? Sane thoughts filtered in, and her breathing slowed, became careful and measured. Wherever she was, she could surely get out again. 

Standing, Rey slowly felt her way around the blank, smooth walls of the room. At one end she found the outline of what could only be a door, although there was no handle, and no obvious way of opening it. She began to beat on it, pounding in a rhythm that could not be ignored by anyone nearby. 

After what felt like an eternity, Rey was starting to think nobody would ever hear her, when the door slid open suddenly, silently, and she fell forwards, every pain-filled part of her body screaming in protest. 

Looking upwards in the dim light, she saw a man. Tall, impossibly tall, thin to the point of skeletal, and clothed in long robes that glinted in the semi-darkness. 

“Well, well. Mrs Solo, I believe?”


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Ben flew into the yard surrounding Hux and Rose’s home, braking so violently that he almost threw himself over the handlebars. He leaped off the vehicle and hit the ground at a sprint, pounding loudly on the door the second he reached it. 

It was answered in moments by Hux, his face pinched and angry. 

“I had JUST gotten Adi down for her nap, I swear if this isn’t life or death...” his voice drifted off as he saw who stood there, panting and dishevelled. 

“Snoke,” was the only word Ben could pant, and the effect was immediate. Hux grabbed him by the arm, hauling him inside and slamming the door behind the, both. 

“Talk, Solo.” 

“He’s here, don’t know how. I think he took Rey.” Ben’s eyes were distraught, and all the blood seemed to drain from Hux’s face, leaving him even paler than usual. 

“The children. I’ve got to call Rose.” He made to turn, then stopped himself, and grabbed Ben once more, hauling him down the hallway into their main room. “What happened?” 

“My mother, she told me this morning that there were rumours, talk that he was in this sector, looking for somebody.” Ben allowed himself to be towed along, feeling weak now that some of the adrenaline had abated. “I came home for lunch and Rey...Rey was...” his voice broke and Hux took the opportunity to shove him down onto a cushion. 

“They destroyed everything in the house, just for the fun of it. She was gone...” now his head fell forward into his hands, and he felt despair wash over him. Whatever Snoke wanted with Rey, it could safely be assumed to be evil and scheming. And if he learned her connection with him, with Ben... he shuddered.

A drink of some kind was slammed down in front of him, and without thinking, Ben took a huge swig, nearly choking and spluttering when he discovered it was some kind of sweet, fruity drink, perhaps something Hux would have fed the children. 

At Ben’s indignant noises Hux smirked. “I’d hardly think alcohol would be a good idea right now. We need to keep our heads.” Ben knew he was probably right, but still glared at Hux over the rim of his glass as he finished the fruity concoction. 

Hux was holding a communicator to his ear, waiting for a response, when Ben assumed Rose picked up at the other end. 

“Dearest, I need you to come home, immediately. No, the children are fine. It’s... it’s the emergency protocol, you remember? Yes. No, he hasn’t come here, but Ben... listen, just get home and I’ll explain. Hello?” He held it from his ear, an amused expression crossing his face briefly. 

“I believe she is on her way.” 

Ben nodded. The sugar from the drink was starting to course through his veins, settling his shaking hands, and steadying his thoughts. He needed to communicate with his mother, as quickly as possible. As though sensing his thoughts, Hux handed him the communicator. 

“Let’s get this moving. Every moment we wait is another lightyear away from here.”

___________________________________

Ben, Hux, Rose, Leia, and Han were gathered around the table. Rose was serving drinks to everyone while Hux held a sleepy Adi, woken from her nap by the noise of all the arrivals. The two older children were sitting around the table as well, curious as to what had brought so many adults to their home in the middle of the day. 

“We all know what, and who, we are dealing with here.” Everyone nodded as Leia spoke. She was every inch in charge, taking control of the conversation immediately. “As much as we all hoped that we were done with Snoke forever,” she paused to lay a hand on top of her sons for a moment, “there was always going to be the possibility that he surfaced again. We don’t know why he has taken Rey, although to me that feels like he has found you and wants revenge.”

Ben closed his eyes and swallowed, knowing his mother was likely right. If he had only warned Rey, perhaps shared more of his past with her... it was folly to travel down such a path. The truth was, he had been afraid to do so. Scared that she wouldn’t feel safe around him, that she might have judged him harshly for the things he had done in his past. Leia interrupted his self-castigation again.

“Han, you know what I’m going to ask you to do.” 

Han grumbled under his breath. “Yeah, yeah. But if he crashes her into the side of some asteroid, there’ll be hell to pay.” Ben looked up, surprised. His father was going to let him fly the Millennium Falcon? In truth, Ben hadn’t flown in her since the day... well, since the day his father had convinced him to leave behind everything, to come home, to shed the skin of Kylo Ren and become Ben once more. They had left behind them burning and destruction, and he had tried his best since then to forget who he had been. 

Snoke, a man who had preyed on the vulnerable, and taken advantage of trust, had convinced a young and rebellious Ben to abandon his life and family and follow him. Whispering in his ear, grooming him, telling him that nobody could ever care for Ben as much as he did. Praising him, giving him all the attention he had craved from his busy parents — before Ben knew it, he was in deep, committing acts he never would have imagined himself doing. Kidnapping, murder, theft, bounty hunting — nothing was below Snoke and his Knights. And there was Ben, travelling the galaxy as Kylo Ren, telling himself that he could never go back to who he used to be. 

When he had left with Han that day, Hux, who he discovered had been betraying Snoke and feeding information to Han of his whereabouts, had gone with them. Ben had never entirely understood how Hux had settled in so quickly to civilian life, and was even more perplexed as to how he had married such an incredible woman as Rose. They had gone from wary rivals to friends, their past experiences uniting them in their new lives. 

Ben was roused from his musings by Leia poking him in the side with a sharp elbow. 

“It’s time to get to work, Ben.” He looked around the table, at Rose, fierce and determined, Hux, mouth set and eyes steely, and his parents, equal parts determination and compassion. A deep breath, then another, and he nodded. 

Rose glared around the table. “The only reason it’s not me flying that hunk of junk off to rescue Rey is because of the baby. You know I’m a better pilot than Hux, right, Ben?” Ben held up both hands to stave off any arguments. 

“Nobody is arguing with you there, Rose. Even Hux wouldn’t dare.” 

The man under discussion turned up his nose at the whole affair. “If you two are quite done, perhaps we should get our arses off the planet.” 

Ben took another deep breath. “The man that Rey… worked for, was threatening to sell her to a slave trader. It's why she left in such a hurry to come here.” His fists clenched under the table, and he saw Rose’s face grow stony in anger. “He took her holopad before she left, and I’m afraid that maybe he found our… letters.” Ben felt a blush trying to rise up his neck, and stubbornly tried to will it away.” They had my name, the planet's name. I’m guessing he used that information to send Snoke after her — and I have to assume, he knows exactly who she was writing to.”

He couldn’t speak for a moment, guilt washing over him over him at the thought that he had, even then, unknowingly put Rey in danger. He felt his mother’s hand cover one of his clenched fists, and looked up for a moment into her eyes. “I think we need to go to Jakku.”


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Rey felt cold, primal fear skitter down her spine. The light filtering into her cell was not enough to show the facial features of the men before her, only hint at them. The dark, gravelly voice was unfamiliar, but he knew her name. Her married name, which few people knew. 

“Now now, surely you can’t be at a loss as to why you’re here, can you?” His chuckle was a mere semblance of humour, and made her skin crawl. “Normally I wouldn’t have given that pitiful junker boss the time of day, but when he told me the name Solo, well...” again that mirthless chuckle, “suddenly it became personal.”

Rey felt a tremor begin deep in her belly. 

“After all, he had done all the work to negotiate a fine contract for you with a new owner, far better circumstances than you had been living until now, yes? A comfortable place to live, fine new clothes, and all the attention you could possibly want.” He took a step closer, and Rey scrabbled backwards, needing to get away from this foul presence, but having nowhere to go. 

“Then you had to go and spoil it all by running away, like a petulant child. Wasn’t it fortuitous then, that you had left behind a datapad with all the details of where you were planning to go. And to whom.” 

Another step forward, and Rey was backed up against the cold, metal wall behind her. The tall figure leant forward at the waist, and Rey could smell the stench of decay wafting from him. 

“Perhaps you don’t know this, but... Ben, and I have quite the history together. Indeed, at one point I even thought of him as my protégée, my successor. I invested years into his training, giving him everything I could, teaching him, and what did I get in return?” An arm reached out to the side, and suddenly the room was filled with a harsh, sickly blue light that caused Rey to throw an arm before her eyes. 

After a few moments of blinking to clear her vision, Rey recoiled in horror at the face before her. It was skeletal, twisted, part of the skull caved in long ago, old scarring and wounds covering it all over. The deep set eyes were cold, merciless, and the twisted smile was not reflected in them. 

“I was not always as you see me now. No, thanks to your husband,” he spat the word, and Rey flinched as spittle sprayed across her face, “and his betrayal, now I have been mutilated beyond repair.” He straightened once more, and smiled coldly down at Rey. 

“As you can imagine, when his name was placed before me, after not knowing for so long where my dear little student had run away to, I took it on myself to personally come and visit.”

Despite her fear, Rey pushed herself up onto her feet in order to look into his eyes, muscles protesting all the way. 

“What delight I shall take in knowing that I have stolen away his precious bride. I considered tracking him and slowly torturing him, perhaps adding to those delightful scars I had already given him, but I think first I’ll let him wallow in despair, knowing that his bride has been returned to her rightful owner at last.” At his words, Rey launched herself towards him with a scream of rage, no weapon but with hands outstretched in claws. She got no further than grabbing a fistful of golden robe when she was caught around the throat by a hand that felt like a steel vice, and lifted from the ground, choking and gasping for air.

She was flung aside to hit the wall and crumpled, like paper, onto the floor. 

“Now, is that any way to treat your rescuer? Fortunately for you, there are several weeks of journeying ahead - plenty of time for those unsightly bruises to heal. Nobody likes damaged goods.” With those words, the man spun on his heel and left the room, the door slamming down behind him. The only blessing was that the lights remained on, and Rey, wheezing as she held her bruised throat, immediately began to scan the room for a way out. 

The room was small, square, and without any obvious amenities. The black metal walls were smooth, unmarked by helpful ventilation grates or windows. As soon as she was able, Rey stood, and resumed her examination of every square inch of the room. A single button in the far left corner was all that she had uncovered, and pressing it opened a small panel, revealing basic hygiene facilities, with no moving parts or helpful weapons that Rey could utilise. A wave of her hand produced a small trickle of cold water from a spigot, and she cupped her hands, drinking slowly and carefully, swallowing past the pain in her throat, until her thirst was quenched. 

More water was splashed carefully onto her face, its icy temperature serving to center her, to give her something to focus on. She sat in the center of the floor, legs crossed, and closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe slowly. 

She had often looked at the long, thin scar that bisected Ben’s face, and wondered where it had come from. She hadn’t wanted to ask, didn’t think it was any of her business to pry about his life before she had come into it. And now here she was, caught up in the consequences of both their pasts. 

Panic threatened to well up in her chest at the thought of Unkar Plutt tracking her down. If she had thought he was going to take her datapad, she would have erased everything from it beforehand, but of course she’d had no warning. Never imagining that she was important enough to track, she had stubbornly hoped that there was enough distance between her and her guardian to ensure that she would never see him again. Once again she schooled her breathing, counting as she inhaled and exhaled.

She had escaped him once. She would escape him again. 

And Ben — at the thought of his kind, beautiful face, his warm eyes, and crooked smile, her determination strengthened. She would do anything to return to him again, to his warm embrace, his kindness, his kisses. Nothing would stop her from getting home. 

_________________________

Time was meaningless. The only thing worse than being left in the dark, was being left in the harsh light without reprieve, so she couldn’t tell the difference between night and day. Sleep was difficult, and she had no way of knowing if she was getting anywhere near enough, with no way to mark the passing of time. 

Food was delivered through a small delivery hatch at intervals. It was little more than clear pouches of some beige, flavourless mush, and similar pouches of water that if left too long, dissolved and left the floor soaked. Rey had planned to store the supplies as she always used to, preparing for an unsure future and with no assurance that they would keep coming, but the way they were designed prevented that. This also meant she was left with no materials or supplies which could assist her in an escape. 

Time passed. 

After the tall man had left her cell, she had seen nobody. There had been no response to her calls, although she often heard far off noises, thrumming, banging, even shouts. And always, under everything, the dull, persistent hum of the engines. 

To try and prevent herself from sinking into madness and despair, she moved around as much as possible inside her cell. Walking, stretching, pushing against walls and her own body weight. 

When she was able to sink into a light sleep, she would drift, her dreams morphing into nightmares. She relived the day her parents left her in the clutches of Unkar Plutt, and flew away while she screamed for them to come back.

She watched an unconscious Ben slowly buried, grain upon grain, by a creeping sand dune, while she herself stood as though made of stone, unable to move except to reach her arms towards him and scream, silently. 

She shrank into herself, hiding in the darkest corner she could find, while Plutt loomed over her, larger than life, telling her she was worthless, less than scum, not worth the credits he paid her parents for her.

And from all of these she woke, shaking and sweating on the cold metal floor. 

Time passed. 

______________________________________

Ben hadn’t flown the Falcon since the day he came home, flying co-pilot to his father, weak from blood loss and in terrible pain from the wounds he had acquired during the struggle. His body alternated between violent trembling and intense exhaustion, and he sat, unspeaking, staring into hyperspace for many hours while he tried to process the complete reversal he had just undertaken. 

The person he had been for many years, Kylo Ren, had been stripped away from him almost in one single swift act of emancipation. Ordered to kill his father, he had faltered when Han had begged him to come home. His parents had loved him all that time; Snoke had been wrong. He had teetered, torn between the two, caught between the lies Snoke had fed him for years, and the truth his father was speaking to him. He hadn’t even known if he could turn back — there was so much blood on his hands, so much guilt weighing him down, so many unspeakable acts he had participated in. Surely he didn’t deserve forgiveness, or a second chance? Surely it was too late for him, nobody would want him, nobody cared that much. 

Then he had dropped his weapon, taken that step, and fallen into his father's arms, crying like a child, and his father had helped him back to the Falcon and they had jumped to hyperspace, losing their pursuers in the avenues between solar systems. 

Those memories haunted him now, in the pilot’s seat with Hux co-piloting, and he stared ahead at the stars streaking past. 

His mother’s contacts had provided him with some information as to the possible whereabouts of Snoke and his Knights, but they were first heading to Jakku at speed. It was the only place he knew she had once been, and if her erstwhile guardian was responsible for having her fetched back, Ben was prepared to use every means necessary to rescue her. 

The time passed swiftly, faster than it had for Rey, tucked away in the cargo hold of a lumbering freighter that had to stop many times on its journey. Pushing the Falcon to its limits, they were able to reach Jakku within 32 hours of leaving Chandrila. Ben and Hux had taken shifts once autopilot was engaged, taking turns to rest in the narrow bunks. Ben had dutifully laid himself down, even tried to close his eyes at times, however had been utterly unable to sleep. When he closed his eyes, he could only see Rey’s face: sweet, trusting, fierce, humorous, smiling. 

He had no assurance that she was even alive, except knowing that Snoke’s reputation was to deliver the promised goods more or less in one piece. If the bounty was dead, he didn’t get paid. Unless that was the goal in the beginning... but no. There had been signs of a struggle, but nothing to indicate she had been a targeted hit. They wouldn’t have hesitated to — he swallowed, fighting nausea — make an example of her, as they had the house, if that had been their goal. More than anyone, he knew what they were capable of.

The sun was blinding through the viewport as they broke atmo, and even from that height Ben could see the wind was whipping the sand violently along the towering dunes. He and Hux had located the Niima outpost with little difficulty, and brought the Falcon in to land carefully on the outskirts of the settlement. The blast of hot air from their engines added to the haze already being kicked up around the tents and flimsy buildings. 

Wordlessly, the two of them descended the ramp, pulling scarves over their lower faces to protect them from the dusty air. They were watched with a certain air of apprehension by those nearby, and Ben saw more than one being go scuttling away into a side alley or into a tent at their approach. He couldn’t know that to the casual observer, he radiated anger, tension obvious in every line of his body.

It wasn’t difficult to locate the building that the junk boss operated from. It was easily the largest in the entire place; certainly the sturdiest, with two heavyset guards at the entrance. As the two men approached, the guards shifted on their feet, changing their bored, indolent postures to something resembling more alert. The hulk on the left of the door rested one hand meaningfully on his belt, from which hung a frankly astonishing assortment of weapons. Ben met his eyes for a moment, then intentionally looked past him, as though he didn’t exist, and stepped through the door like a man who had every right to be there. 

It was the middle of the day, and where there would have usually been a long line up in the evenings, there was only one lone Teedo, who seemed to be arguing with whoever was behind the counter. Ben approached, Hux close behind, and elbowed the Teedo to one side, who began to screech in protest. 

Two hands slammed on the counter, which caused the head of the hulking Crolute behind the counter to snap up, squinting angrily into the face of the newcomer. 

“Who are you? You have to wait your turn like everyone else, pateesa,” he spat the Huttese endearment like an insult, and smirked, as though thinking himself very clever. Ben simply stood, pinning the repellent blobfish with his eyes, before pulling down his scarf from his face. 

“Where is Rey.” It was not a question, but a demand. 

Plutt simply gaped at him for a second before recovering. “Rey? Never heard of him. You’re looking in the wrong place, friend.” His voice was slimy, conciliatory, wheedling. “Now if you’re here to buy the finest spare parts this quadrant of the galaxy, then I certainly have the--” 

He was cut off as a pair of large, strong hands grasped him by the collar and dragged him over the top of his counter. A pair of very dark, very angry eyes stared into his own, and Ben hissed once more. “Where... is... Rey.” 

“Guards!” He was able to gargle once before Ben twisted his grip, causing him to choke on whatever he was about to say next. The two brutish guards outside must have heard and ambled in, both coming to an abrupt halt at the sight of Hux, a fully powered blaster in each hand, aiming it between their eyes. 

“I’d step outside for a moment, gentlemen, were I you.” Hux’s voice, while clipped and cold, had a decidedly persuasive quality to it, and with nervous glances at the tall human who had their employer in his grip, they turned and sidled out the door once more. 

“Tell me where she is.” Nothing came from Plutt’s throat but an obscene squeaking, so he loosened his grip slightly. 

“Not here! Ran off somewhere, the ungrateful...” his eyes bulged as Ben twisted sharply once more, cutting off air completely. 

“You told them where she was, didn’t you? Couldn’t resist the chance to make more credits.” Plutt was beginning to turn purple, and a part of Ben, one that he had buried long ago, stood and watched with satisfaction as life began to leave the Crolute’s body. Clammy hands came up to scrabble at his wrists, and Ben forced himself to loosen his grip once more. 

Plutt gasped and wheezed for air, sweat forming and dripping down his face.

“Slave trader. Raymus Towani. Was looking for girls.” He spoke in short gasps. “Paying good money for untouched,” Ben’s arms shook with the effort to keep still. “First Order took the job. Said they would pay me my share. Haven’t heard back.” Ben’s lip curled with disgust, and he released the junk trader, letting him collapse with a wet splat into a puddle of his own fear. He leaned over the counter and looked into the piggy, disgusting eyes of the being that Rey had been abused and mistreated by. 

“I’d kill you, but you’re not even worth the effort.” 

Shouts were heard outside, and Hux shifted on his feet, blasters still pointed at the door. 

“Perhaps we’d better finish this transaction, Solo.” 

Plutt’s eyes bulged at the name. “Solo? Who are you?” 

Ben spat to one side contemptuously. 

“I’m Rey’s husband.”


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Finn sat, unnoticed and alone, at the very back of the mess hall. The hulking black ship that was the base of operations for the First Order theoretically had all comforts one could imagine, only delivered in the coldest, most clinical way possible. 

He had been with Snoke’s gang only for a short time, long enough to go through basic training, but not long enough to actually be trusted with a job on his own. He had accompanied the Knights on several of their missions, helping with the dirty work and getaways, but they had not chosen to initiate him into their ranks. If he was being honest with himself, he was glad about it. Living as he was on the streets of Coruscant, growing up never knowing who his parents were, and surviving by joining the gangs of kids that roamed the overcrowded city planet, the life offered to him by the First Order had at first seemed like a step up. He would travel the galaxy, make a load of credits, and perhaps become a feared name amongst the outer planets. 

The reality had been vastly different. Mopping up blood, literally washing dirty laundry, cleaning the endless, shiny floors of the ship, even serving food to others, when there were droids that could do all those things. He had been allowed to prove that he could in fact fly a shuttle, after which he had become a kind of taxi service, flying the Knights in and out of jobs, taking contraband from one space station to another, shuttling dark and suspicious beings around the outer rim. 

So he sat, and wondered if this was where he had pictured his life going. A lackey for a group of space criminals, a pack animal, a delivery service, all for a pittance and a cold bunk at night. To be sure, it was off the streets, but at least when he had run with his gang they had each other. They weren’t alone. 

The face of the young woman they had brought aboard several days ago continued to haunt him. She had been unconscious, her face and body bruised from the rough treatment the Knights had served out, as was their modus operandi. He had flown the shuttle to the planet’s surface, and waited inside, trying not to listen to the sounds of conflict that filtered through the open doors. When they had trooped back on board again he had turned his face for a moment, to see Vicrul with the limp body of a young woman slung over his shoulder, her head lolling to one side. He turned away quickly, in case they had seen him looking, and fired up the engines as fast as he possibly could. 

He didn’t know where they were keeping her, exactly, although it was not difficult to guess. There was a row of cells deep in the center of the ship, where slaves and targets were kept while being shipped from one place to another. 

Finn didn’t know why, but his thoughts kept returning to the girl. It was not the first time he had seen women and girls transported — usually in pairs or small groups, their eyes large and frightened as they clung to each other. Knowing their fate. 

He tried to ignore the thoughts niggling in the back of his head. This isn’t right. I know it’s not right. How long do I have to keep pretending? He knew what happened to those who betrayed Snoke and the First Order. Snoke had made them all watch while he made an example of traitors, to ensure the loyalty of those who served beneath him. 

There was something, perhaps the words of a long-forgotten parent, that floated through his head. 

_“It was the right thing to do.”_

What was the right thing to do anymore? He groaned, his head in his hands. Once more the unconscious face of the young woman crossed his mind, and with it came a kind of resolve. Perhaps he couldn’t escape his own fate anymore, but he could do something to at least help her. 

The mess hall was empty save for himself at this time of day. They had been heading for the planet Exegol, the base of the notorious slave trader Raymus Towani. A cold and ruthless trader in lives, the notorious crime lord had built a vast empire for himself on the otherwise inhospitable planet, with his gambling dens and pleasure houses. The worst of the galaxy met and dealt here, and to be taken there as a slave was to disappear from knowledge. Finn knew there wasn’t a lot of time left before they arrived, and, before his resolution could waver, he took off at a trot towards the prison wing. 

____________________________________________

Time passed. And passed. Had she been there a week, a month, or just a day? The blinding light was driving Rey insane, a harshness without reprieve. In desperation, she had gnawed at her tunic until she was able to tear away long strips of it from around the base, and had bound them over her eyes, attempting to block the light and rest. 

She was laying, her back aching on the hard ground, trying to will herself into sleep, when the unmistakable hiss of a hydraulic door sounded. At once she was on her feet, no weapon save for the long strips of cloth that were now in her hands. She leapt and pressed her body to the wall beside the door, ready to fight for her life with whoever entered. A man, dark skinned and no taller than herself, ducked inside, and Rey acted swiftly, hooking the cloth around his throat and twisting. 

His hands flew up to his throat, and began to scrabble at the threads that were cutting off his air supply. Rey held tight as he struggled against her, muscles in her arms burning with the strain, intending only to hold him until he was unconscious, and she could get past him and escape. 

“Wait... trying... help...” the words he whispered were barely audible, but Rey could hear them nonetheless. Her resolve weakened for a moment. Was it a trick, or had he meant that he was trying to help her? Knowing she still had the upper hand, Rey loosened the cloth round his neck very slightly, and hissed, “Talk. You have five seconds.”

The man coughed and sucked air in violently, unable to speak at first. Rey gave a meaningful tug of the fabric, and he began to talk hurriedly. 

“Here to help. Name’s Finn. Get you out.” 

“How do I know you’re not lying? I could kill you right now, you know.” She punctuated her words with another sharp tug. He had no way of knowing whether she was bluffing or not, and she hoped she sounded convincing enough. 

“Know where he’s taking you. Exegol.” Rey’s blood ran cold. Even on Jakku, the vices and reputation of Exegol were well known, like a foul stench that reached to every arm of the galaxy. Why was she being taken there? 

“Whose ship is this? Why are they taking me there?”

Finn shook his head. “Don’t know why. Never ask. Ship belongs to Snoke, First Order.”

Like Exegol, the name of Snoke was whispered in dark alleys and inside shadowy doorways, usually in fear lest others should hear. Rey’s blood ran cold as she considered her position. The First Order’s reputation was terrifying - merciless bounty hunters, cold-hearted killers, spice runners - there were few crimes they were not accused of. 

“If you’re one of them, why are you helping me?” Rey tugged a little, to emphasise who held the power at that moment. 

“Right.. right thing to do.” 

Rey sagged a little at his words, wanting to trust him, but also wanting to follow years of instinct and allow nobody to help. If Ben was here... she stopped herself from travelling down that path, and took a deep breath. If this man could help her get out, even part way, she could steal a shuttle of some kind, and be on her way back home as soon as possible. She had never encountered a vehicle she couldn’t pilot. 

“Finn, was it?” He nodded, still restrained by her makeshift garrotte. Rey released him, allowing him to take in huge gasps of air, and stepped back. When he was breathing easier, she decided perhaps they should start again. 

“I’m Rey.” A hand, held out, taken in relief, a tentative smile exchanged. “Now, let’s get off this ship.”

________________________________________

“Raymus Towani. Not really the name I’d wanted to hear, to be honest.” Leia’s voice cracked a bit, and her face floated above the console, the aged 3D projector flickering in and out as she spoke. “Amilyn said she has folks on the ground at Exogol, working undercover for her. He’s based there, does much of his trading of goods, which includes people, planetside. If that’s who was after Rey, then I’m no longer surprised at a Snoke sticking his nose into things.” 

Ben felt his jaw tighten, hands gripping the steering so tightly that his knuckles blanched. 

“Don’t grind your teeth, dear, it’ll just give you a headache.” 

Ben ignored this. “Is there anyone nearby who is actually able to do anything to assist? We’re definitely lacking in firepower to go against Snoke, let alone both of them.” 

“Well, I know it wouldn’t exactly be your first choice, but your Uncle Luke is nearby on Ahch-To.” At her words Ben ground his teeth together so hard that they audibly squeaked. 

“I think I’d rather take my chances with the crime bosses, thanks mom.” 

“Now, I know the two of you have had a rough time in the past, and I happen to know that neither of you have spoken to the other in years, but for Rey’s sake, it might be time to damn well get over it and move on.” Even through the flickering, blue picture, he could see the disapproving tilt of his mother’s head. 

“Fine. But only if there’s nobody else.” 

“Nobody else who’s close by, sweetheart. At least not who is able to get there in time.” 

As Ben signed off the call with his mother, Hux emerged, yawning, into the cockpit. 

“Bloody hell, those bunks are as uncomfortable as I remember them. Do we know where we’re heading yet?” 

Ben nodded. “Exegol.”

Hux swore, colourfully, at length, and in several languages. 

“If you’ve gotten that out of your system, you can help me jump to these coordinates.” Hux slid into the co-pilot’s seat, muttering darkly to himself, as Ben entered their destination into the ship’s console. The initial jump was always jarring, as Ben watched the stars streak and begin to slide past at incredible speeds. Once they had settled in and engaged autopilot, Ben stood, needing to stretch his legs and move around for a while. Hux took the pilot's place without a word, and Ben wandered back out into the ship's common area, not really wanting to sit down straight away. He looked around him at the grimy walls, the ancient dejarik table, the bits and pieces of everyday detritus scattered around. Han may have loved his ship, but he hadn’t exactly kept it clean and tidy over the years. 

Leaning up against a wall, Ben finally allowed himself to pull the small, battered datapad from inside his jacket. Before they had left Plutt, a quivering, fearful heap on the floor, Ben had demanded, and received, Rey’s old datapad that Plutt had stolen from her. 

He didn’t know why he had insisted on it. It wasn’t as though it would hold any clues to where she had been taken, it may have even been wiped completely, but he had felt compelled to make the demand. 

Powering it up, the first thing he saw was the last letters he had sent her, those she had never had a chance to receive or reply to. They had continued to arrive even after she had been on her way, and he hadn’t known all that time that she was coming to him. Scrolling further back, he found her replies, which he had already committed to memory, knowing every word by heart.

Unexpectedly, amidst those entries, he found what could only have been her private notes for herself. A little hesitant at first to invade her privacy, and then gripped with a need to know, he opened one that was dated before his first letter. 

_When will they come back? Sometimes I still wonder if it was something I did, if it was my fault they left me here. Other times I think it was just a terrible mistake, one that they’re doing their best to fix. I’d never admit it to the Blowfish or the others but I’m so lonely. I’m so afraid I’ll end up like the old folks here, dried up, hollow, eyes that are full of old pain._

Ben felt something in his chest tighten. Quickly he flicked to another entry, more recent. 

_I wonder what he’s like? Is he as kind as he sounds in his letters? Does he lie awake and wonder the same things about me? I still wonder if I’m making a mistake. He could be anyone, really, and just pretending to be who he says he is. Surely I couldn’t be much worse off that I am here? Even if he didn’t really want to marry me, maybe he’d give me a job on his farm or something. It’d be worth it just to see something growing and green for once._

Again more recent, this time just after her last letter to him. 

_I just want someone to care. Sometimes I feel like I’m going mad, like the Sitter, up in his platform in the sun and wind. I try to keep busy with work but what’s the point? I nearly have enough credits to get out of here. Just need to keep Plutt off my back a bit longer. Even if I get there and he’s not even a real person, or he turns out to really be horrible, I’m sure I could find work somewhere. Anywhere has to be better than here._

Ben sat for a long time, staring down at the datapad. He didn’t even know the tears were leaking from his eyes until they started hitting the screen before him.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

The journey through the bowels of the ship felt like it was taking an eternity. Rey and Finn crept, slowly and carefully, through rooms, alcoves and hallways, pausing and holding their breath at the slightest noise, pressing themselves against walls and keeping to the shadows as much as possible. 

Luck was on their side, and they made it out of the prison wing and into the ship proper with no incident. They had entered a long corridor that ran along the outside of the ship, through which portholes pierced the hull and gave them the view into the streaking stars of hyperspace. 

Even as they watched, the ship dropped out and into normal space, the dark, looming hulk of the planet beneath them coming into view as they began to orbit. Exegol was a dark, desolate chunk of rock. There was little on it that could be called life, unless you counted the scum of the galaxy that came here to escape justice. The planet itself was barren, rocky, huge pointed mountain ranges that seemed to slash at the sky. It orbited a little further away from its primary — an old, dim star — than was comfortable for most species, and as a result was constantly dark and cold, with great roiling electrical storms, stabbing bolts of lightning from the sky to the ground. 

This is where the notorious crime boss, Raymus Towani, made his base of operations, along with many other unsavoury folks. Even the Hutts considered themselves too upper-class to deal with most of the criminals who gathered here. 

The great, black cruiser docked at the spaceport, a mass of buildings that looked to have been built by numerous different beings over several centuries. Knowing the history of this planet, that seemed very likely. Towers sprouted like diseased fungus all over, and tiny, barred windows scattered like spores everywhere, when there were windows at all. There was little to be seen on such a dead planet, unless you needed to keep an eye out for your enemies arriving. 

When the ship had been silent and still for a long period of time, Rey and Finn ventured out of their hiding place, Finn once again guiding their escape. They moved cautiously, as silent as possible, lest anyone had been left behind. Because of their fearsome reputation, few would dare interfere with the First Order’s ship; however, it would be just their luck if a knight had been left behind as guard this time. 

Sweat was dripping down Rey’s back and beading on her forehead, which caused her to shiver when an icy breeze slid down the hallway towards them. 

“We’re nearly there,” Finn whispered. “Let me go ahead and check if anyone is out there.”

Finn, moving silent as a shadow, inched his way around the corner and out of Rey’s sight for a moment. Now Rey could hear the muted rumblings and muttering of the eternal electrical storm, laced through with the thundering engines of various vehicles, coming and going nearby. She jumped when Finn's voice seemed to come out of nowhere.

“It’s all clear. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Gratefully she ran to him, happy to be leaving this dark, oppressive ship behind for good. What they would do once they were free... that was a problem they would tackle when they came to it. 

The shipyard was littered with old cargo crates, barrels, boxes - the perfect cover, if used appropriately. Rey and Finn ducked behind the nearest pile, hearts beating, looking around them as best they could to determine whether there was anyone nearby. All seemed clear so they began to work their way through the yard, toward the gate that led to other parts of the spaceport. 

They were nearly at their goal, when an old, decrepit-looking freighter dropped through the outer atmosphere, heading for a nearby landing pad. Rey started at it, wondering why there was something familiar about it. She was sure she’d never seen it before, but it stuck in her mind as something she should know. It put down its landing gear, engines whining to a halt. Squinting a bit, Rey watched as the door opened and ramp extended, when a familiar figure emerged, long legs striding down and away from where she was hiding. Her heart leapt.

“Ben!” She half-whispered, half-called.

Finn grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? We’re not out of here yet!”

“Ben!” This time she called out more loudly, running out from behind the crates, hoping to get his attention before he was too far away to hear. She barely heard Finn calling her name. 

“Ben!” This time she shouted, but just as she did, a smaller transport vehicle with rumbling engines that belched smoke thundered past between them, drowning out her voice. Ben’s stride didn’t falter as he headed for the entrance of a large, ominous looking building. Just as Rey reached the gate, a figure dressed all in black stepped out from behind it. Rey had half a second to recognise him as the man she had knocked down in the garden, back at home, before everything went black again. 

_________________________________________

Ben strode towards the compound, outwardly confident, but inside he was shaking. He had insisted that Hux remain hidden, despite the other man’s protests, as backup when he would be needed. And he would be. Ben had no illusions about this going smoothly. He knew that the chances he would make it inside the building without some conflict were zero, but he also knew that a show of strength was the only thing Snoke would respect. 

The entrance stood before him, and he drew a breath, before stepping towards the huge doors. As they opened automatically, two guards, men he didn’t recognise, stepped out from behind it, electrically charged weapons crackling and spitting in an ugly way. 

Slipping into the old arrogance, Ben stared at them, pointedly ignoring the weapons they waved at him menacingly. 

“I’m here to see Snoke.” 

“Lord Snoke don’t entertain visitors such as yerself.” The brute on the left sneered, then spat on the ground at Ben’s feet, saliva splattering on his boot. It was almost too easy to let the rage bubble up as it once had, filling his veins with a kind of fizzing energy. He barely knew what he was doing, only that within seconds the man was facedown on the floor, nose bleeding freely, gasping for air as Ben knelt in the center of his back, the man's own weapon mere centimetres from his ugly face. 

He looked up at the other guard, who looked like he might possess a small measure of intelligence, and hissed, “Tell him Kylo Ren wishes to speak with him.” 

At the mention of that name, the man paled. “Kylo Ren?” He whispered, then turned and ran down the hall as fast as he could. Ben waited, listening to the moaning and groaning of the guard he was still restraining. After a surprisingly short period of time, there were footsteps returning, even faster than before. 

“His Lordship will see you, and sends his greetings.” 

His greetings? Snoke had never said such a thing before, and it put Ben even more on his guard. 

A long walk down a familiar hallway followed, with the two guards remaining at the door behind him. Ben felt his heart sinking lower with each step. There was still a high probability that Snoke would simply kill him on the spot, the moment he entered the room, but there was also the chance that his curiosity had been piqued enough to at least hear him out before he did. 

The huge, red doors stood before him now, guarded by a better class of warrior than before. These men were also unknown to Ben, in their blood-red robes, holding long, dangerous-looking vibro spears. As the doors swung open, he took a deep breath, and stepped through, tension in every line of his body.

“My boy!” Snoke’s booming voice carried across the vast, echoing room. “How very kind of you to pay a visit to your old master.” Ben slowed his walk, aware that the Knights of Ren, who he knew intimately and had once been master over, were spread around the room, standing casually with weapons held loosely in their hands. He knew, more than many, how deadly these Knights were, and how it would take every skill he had once possessed if he was to walk out of here alive.

Stopping before Snoke, he forced himself to take a knee, knowing the importance of appearing penitent and respectful once again. 

“You may stand before me, boy.” Once again Ben felt the wrongness of Snoke’s tone, the appearance of warmth and joviality that put him on edge. “When I heard my favourite Knight wanted to pay me a little visit, why, I thought, what better way to welcome him than with a gift!” His words were poisonous, dripping with sickening sweetness. Ben stood, bracing himself for the attack he was sure would follow, when a door opened to one side of the room, and from the corner of his eyes he could see a figure dressed in black and dragging somebody...

It was Rey. Head bloodied, hands bound behind her, barely conscious.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Ben stood, Rey thrown down at his feet, her hands bound behind her.

“Never let it be said I am not magnanimous, Solo,” Snoke spat the name, sneering. “I am giving you the chance to redeem yourself. You can earn my forgiveness, as undeserved as it is. Perhaps if you behave yourself, I won’t send the Knights to kill your snivelling parents. Although that is a job that you yourself botched badly years ago.” 

Hardly daring to look at Rey, he heard instead her quick indrawn breath, and forced his own to remain calm. His eye twitched, but he forced himself to meet the gaze of his former master. Everything depended on how well he could play the next few moments. Would Rey trust in him enough to know that he would never do anything to hurt her - he would rather die himself. 

He had no plans to die today. 

Slowly, Ben let his face fall into the old arrogance, the persona of Kylo Ren that he had worn as a protective shield over the years. His fists clenched by his side, his lip curling in disdain, eyes narrowing. He had no mask to hide behind this time, no voice modulator to filter the emotion from his words. 

“Do what you like. She’s your bounty, isn’t she? I heard Towani was paying top credit for undamaged goods.” Feet spread apart, resting casually, all the energy charged into the balls of his feet. “Did you not consider that maybe I wanted that bounty for myself? Didn’t take long to put two and two together.” 

Snoke threw back his head and laughed, loud and long, the sound curdling disgust in Ben’s stomach. He risked a quick glance down at Rey - her face was downcast, and she was trembling, ever so slightly, over her entire body. He longed to reach down and touch her hair, to run his fingers through it and gently pull her head back, so she would look him in the eyes. Everything depended on this bluff. 

_Rey, Rey, I wish you could hear me. I love you. Hold on._

“Ruthless, just as I taught you. Here I was, thinking you had too much of your father’s heart in you.” Snoke steepled his fingers and peered over them at Ben, his eyes gloating. He had never liked to let go of what was his, and perhaps some sick and twisted part of him admired what Ben had done when he had tried to destroy him. 

His father’s blaster, where it remained secreted inside his jacket, seemed to burn through his clothing and into his skin.

“Kill her, and I’ll pay you twice what Towani offered. He’s a greedy pig anyway, never appreciates what choice bits and pieces come his way.” Ben’s spirit ran cold at Snoke’s words, at their coldness and callousness. “What’s more, I’ll even allow you to work with us once more.” Bile rose in his throat, as he fought to keep his emotions tightly contained, lest his revulsion at the thought of working for Snoke again break through. 

Examining his fingernails in apparent disinterest, he spoke casually. “You insult me with so paltry an offer. You know I was your best Knight. I defeated every fighter in this room to gain my position.” Snoke’s eyes narrowed at his words, and the stance of the Knights shifted ever so slightly, as each of them gripped their weapons tighter. He needed to get closer to the obscene throne that Snoke had perched himself upon, not trusting his aim to be completely accurate from that distance. He would have one shot, and one only. 

Rey’s shoulders were bowed, her head hanging low, and he had no way to glimpse her face. No way of knowing what she was thinking, how she was feeling, if she had fallen into despair or if she still held onto hope. If he could just touch her, just let her know somehow... but no. Snoke was quick, and savvy, and had reached his position of power partly by brute force, and partly by his ability to acutely read the emotions of others. 

“Very well, Solo,” the name was spat, full of disdain, “and from you I expect you to earn that position once more. Prove your loyalty to me.” A long, bony finger pointed at Rey. 

“Kill her.” 

In the silence that followed, the thud of Ap’lek’s boots seemed to fill the room as he left his position and walked towards Ben. A cold, metal weapon was placed into his hands, and Ben didn’t even need to look at it to know what he held. The black executioner's axe that was Ap’lek’s preferred weapon. It’s deadly vibroblade could sever armour and bone as though they were water. 

Ben hefted the weapon in his right hand just as Rey turned to look up at him. Fear, anger, determination, all were playing across her face. Ben looked into her eyes, unable to change his expression to reassure her. He willed his emotions to reach her through his gaze. After several heartbeats passed, loud in his ears, something changed in her face. 

Her eyes softened, jaw relaxing, her mouth, the one he longed to press his own to again, opened slightly. He dared the tiniest of nods, and she returned it, a movement imperceptible to anyone but himself. 

Turning once more to Snoke, Ben clenched his jaw, and nodded to his erstwhile master. Raising the axe steadily over Rey’s head, he swung...

With his left hand, he reached into his jacket, pulling out the blaster that was nestled there. Rey had flung herself to one side, using her body weight to buckle the knees of the Knight that stood beside them. Ap’lek stumbled, struggling to regain his feet as Ben spun, axe slicing the air where the man had stood moments before. 

Ben raised the blaster and fired, a single shot that seemed to travel across the room in slow motion. A pulse of light that took no time at all to reach its destination, but also an eternity. 

The look of shock on Snoke’s face as the blaster bolt hit him directly between the eyes was not one that Ben had time to savour, as the Knights moved as one towards the couple. Rey was crouching at his feet, her back to him, her hands still bound behind her. She turned to look at his face, and the joy he felt spring up within him was matched only by what he saw in her eyes. He glanced down at her cuffs, and she nodded, holding her hands further away from her body. A single blaster shot and the cuffs disengaged, dropping from her wrists. 

An entire book of words passed between them in a look as Rey stood, grabbed the axe from his hands, then spun to face their enemies, Ben solid at her back. They fought as though in a dream, as though they had fought together every day of their lives, reading each other’s movements and flowing together as a deadly team. 

The Knights swung their weapons, Ben fired his blaster, Rey swung the axe partly as a blade and partly as though it were a staff. Ushar swung at him with his heavy war club, and Ben felt the air of its passing whistle past his face, as he then jammed the blaster under the knight’s throat, firing up and into his skull. He grabbed the heavy weapon as the man went down, needing to focus more on close combat.

He could hear Rey fighting behind him, although he dared not take his attention away from Kuruk, who had moved forward to attack. The rage that rose up inside him when he heard her scream was like a red mist before his eyes. Knocking Kuruk aside, he spun to witness Rey savagely sweeping the vibro axe through the air and cutting down Ap’lek, who had been attempting to regain his weapon from her. Blood streamed from a wound on her arm, but she appeared otherwise unharmed, spinning the weapon in her hands expertly and casting around for her next victim. 

Knowing she was more than capable of handling herself, Ben returned his focus to the hulking Kuruk, who was intent on using his plasma rifle to smash him in the face. Refusing to allow the knight to gain enough distance to unleash the pulse beam, he instead pulled him close, twisting his body so that the man was thrown over his hip and onto the ground with a thud. A shot with his blaster at close range, and even the knight’s body armour was not enough to deflect it from his heart. 

“Rey!” He called, unable to immediately pinpoint her in the chaos. A feral scream was his reply, and he swung towards it, in time to witness Rey swing the axe that she held onto Trudgen’s neck, as the man knelt on the ground, his great vibrocleaver partially buried in the floor. He fell, and their eyes locked across the room. One final knight, Vicrul, stood between them, and without speaking a word, they both raised their weapons and began to charge at him. 

The sound of a blaster discharging, and a smoking hole appeared in the man’s helmet, as he crumpled to the ground. As one, Ben and Rey swung to face the doorway, where the shot had originated. Hux stood, calmly sheathing his weapon, Finn behind him.

“If you two are quite finished with your murderous bonding, I suggest we get out of here. It’s about to become very uncomfortable.” Ben reached out and took Rey’s hand, feeling a kind of shock travel up his arm at the contact, a joy that he could not take the time to examine now. They reached the door and Ben stopped, seeing Finn clearly now, standing behind Hux in his First Order uniform.

“Ben, it’s alright,” Rey laid a hand on Ben’s arm, stopping him. “This is Finn, he helped me escape.” Ben narrowed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. Time was of the essence, so together they ran for the exits, hearing the sound of shouts growing behind them. The two doorway guards lay dead in the hallway, tidy headshots showing who had taken care of them. 

Bursting outside, the four ran as fast as they were able towards the Millennium Falcon, as hardened looking beings began to pour from the building behind them, many of them running for smaller vehicles. They banged up the gangplank with barely a second to spare, as several of them began to open fire on the ship. 

“Hux, I need you in the cockpit. Rey, can you fly gunner?” Rey nodded, exhausted and sweating but eyes glowing, and Ben had to resist the urge to take her in his arms and crush her up against the bulkhead... first, they had to survive.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Ben fired the engine up in record time, barely giving Hux and Finn a chance to seat themselves before he lifted off in a sharp vertical ascent. A sharp turn and they were away, heading for the upper atmosphere, as the multitude of smaller vehicles struggled to catch up. 

It was beginning to look like they were going to escape scot-free, when a formation of deadly-looking, sleek ships swung into view below them. 

“It’s Towani,” Finn recognised the symbol painted on the side of each of them. “I sure hope you can fly this hunk of junk out of here fast!” Ben snorted at this, although at the same time he grit his teeth and put on his headset. 

“Rey, are you in position?”

Her voice came through into his ear, sounding breathless but steady. “Ready to fire.”

“Give ‘em hell, sweetheart.”

“Roger.” 

As Ben began to fly the Falcon in evasive manoeuvres, the dark ships began to break formation, flying to intercept him. They fired in formation, seeming to co-ordinate their movements to try and cause maximum damage. Ben turned and spun the ship upside down for a moment, before dropping in on top of one. Rey was obviously on the alert, as the Falcon fired on the ship, a clean shot, and it spiralled out of the sky, flaming. 

Two more ships broke away, firing at them from either side. Ben allowed the Falcon to drop beneath them, feeling himself lift off his seat as he did, then accelerated down and around to the right, causing the two ships to nearly collide with each other, one clipping the side of the other and tearing a great, gaping hole. This then caused the engine to ignite, and the result was a huge fireball blossoming in the sky. Rey, in the meantime, was firing on the second ship while it tried to recover its course, and soon sent it to join the first in flames. By now there were ships beginning to catch up with them, and soon they were being fired upon from all sides, all the trick-flying in the world not enough to evade every shot. 

Hux was cursing colourfully in the co-pilot’s chair, and Finn had a death grip on the back of it, his face grim and hopeless. Rey was firing skilfully in all directions, but making little impact. 

The transmitter crackled into life, and a familiar, gruff voice spoke over it. 

“This is Red Five, coming in hot.” As it spoke, the two ships who were closest to them bloomed into flames, and moments later, a third exploded. There was a high-pitched shriek overhead as an old X wing, painted orange and white, shot past them, opening fire on whichever ships were proving the most troublesome.

“Who the hell is that?” Finn’s voice was choked, and he watched in amazement as the X wing took out ship after ship, its manoeuvrability far superior to their own. Ben said nothing, only set his jaw and spun the Falcon around, neatly reversing it in midair to give Rey the chance to take down the ship that had been firing on them at close range. Which she did, causing Finn to whoop in victory. Even Hux allowed himself a small smile. They continued to climb, needing to break atmo so they could jump to hyperspace.

The X wing continued to spin and weave around them, hitting target after target, until all the ships belonging to Towani were accounted for, and the few smaller that were left simply gave up, dropping back down to the planet’s surface. 

“Hey there, kid. Nice bit of flying there.” 

“Uncle. You always have to make an entrance, don’t you?” 

“You’re welcome, by the way. Your mother let me know you might be getting yourselves into a tight spot.”

“I’ll be sure to thank her when I see her next.” Rey had made her way forward from the gunner position into the main cockpit, and was looking quizzically between Hux and Ben, not recognising the voice coming from the comm. 

Hux leaned over to her and in a stage whisper, said “His uncle, Luke Skywalker. Apparently they’re estranged. How scandalous.” And a sly smirk appeared on his face, as he winked at Rey. 

“Luke Skywalker? _The_ Luke Skywalker? He’s your uncle?” Rey was incredulous. 

“Wait, Skywalker? I’ve heard of him. Wasn’t he some legendary pilot? Took down more of the Empire’s star destroyers than anyone else in his battalion!” Finn was speaking quickly, his voice alight with excitement.

A chuckle sounded over the speakers. “Well, it’s nice to know someone still remembers me. Send my love to your mom. See you around, kid.” With that, the X wing jumped into hyperspace, leaving them behind to do the same. 

______________________________________________

Once they had plotted a course and made the jump, Ben leaned back in the pilot’s chair, weary beyond words. Rey and Finn were sitting on either side of the dejarik table, both trying to figure out the rules of a game neither of them knew, and Hux was sitting with his head tilted back and eyes half closed, watching the stars streak by. 

“I can handle things for a while. Bugger off and talk to your wife, Solo.” Ben snorted at this, but didn’t argue with the offer. He hauled himself out of the squeaking, poorly padded chair with a groan, stretching his arms above his head until he brushed the ceiling. He wandered out to where Rey and Finn, the defecting First Order flunky, were arguing some point in their imaginary rules. Rey stopped when she saw him, and her eyes didn’t so much light up as seem to explode in flame, although her face remained calm. Ben felt the blood begin to race in his veins. 

Finn spun around to see who was behind him, and looked up into Ben’s face, who was standing with a hand extended for Finn to shake. 

“It seems I owe you a debt, fellow traitor.” Finn bridled a bit at this, but still took his hand and shook it firmly. “I’m glad you chose the right thing to do. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about when I say that nothing good would come of staying with the First Order.” 

“I mean, I didn’t really think I had a choice. I was just a kid when they took me in, promised me food and shelter in exchange for doing the dirty work.”

“That’s how they work; they prey on the vulnerable, the helpless, those who don’t think they have any other possibilities ahead of them.” Ben’s voice was grim, as he tried not to think how Snoke had manipulated his own mind, exploited his fears and weaknesses, and promised him acceptance, belonging. He’s gone; he can never interfere with your life again, was the thought that kept running through his head, even with echoes of Snoke’s voice still sounding in his brain. 

“Anyway, feel free to get some rest, have a meal. We’re en route to Chandrila, and you’re most welcome to come with us. I’m sure we can find something for you there.” Finn’s eyes were grateful, and he simply nodded, unable to speak. 

Now Ben turned to Rey, who had been listening to this whole exchange without taking her eyes off of him. 

“Let’s go get some rest, okay, sweetheart?” Now he held out his hand to her, and she took it without a word, simply threw a smile over her shoulder at Finn as Ben led her out of the room. They walked down a short hallway and turned into a small room that contained a ‘fresher and a jumble of storage crates. Ben palmed the door closed behind them and they simply stood, staring at each other, neither able to find words to break the silence. The air cracked between them, alive with electricity and charged with tension. 

Ben cleared his throat, and looked down to where their hands were still entwined, covered in blood and dirt and who knew what else. 

“Rey, how about we get cleaned up? I’m sure I stink, or I will soon.”

A funny little smile appeared on Rey’s face. “Are you saying I smell?” Her eyes twinkled, and he responded with adamant denials, when he realised she was teasing him. Emboldened, he stepped closer, their bodies nearly touching in the small space. 

“Well now, I’d have to get a bit closer to really be able to tell,” his voice was rough, and he was gratified to see a shiver travel through Rey’s body at the sound. Dipping his head lower, he ever so slowly tilted his head to one side, nose almost touching the side of her neck. A few exaggerated sniffs, and an exhale that raised goosebumps all over Rey’s skin.

“You smell fine to me. Maybe it’s just me that stinks.” Rey giggled at this, a carefree sound, and pushed him away a little. 

“It’s fine, I know we both reek. Does the ‘fresher here have real water, or is it just a sonic?”

“Only sonic, I’m afraid. I could maybe work something out, if you give me a moment.” Looking around, he seemed to reach a decision and grabbed Rey around her waist, lifting her into the air before she even had time to squeal. Seating her on the edge of a crate, he turned and went over to the tiny sink, peering under and around it, before finding an empty bucket. He then proceeded to turn the tap as hot as it would go, and filled the bucket almost to the brim. He placed it on the crate next to Rey. Another quick search turned up an old, clean cloth, which Ben then dipped into the water. 

A quick squeeze of excess liquid, and Ben lifted up the warm, wet rag to Rey’s face, gently wiping the grime and blood away from her forehead. Her eyes closed, and Ben didn’t fail to notice that her breathing hitched a little in her throat. 

“Ben,” her voice seemed loud in the silence, “were you... was that man...” she seemed to be struggling to put her thoughts into words, and Ben’s stomach dropped. He knew the explanation would have to come sooner rather than later. After all, it was the whole reason she had been kidnapped. He sighed, moving onto her left cheek. 

“When I was a young man, I met Snoke. He was charming, persuasive, and I was chafing against the restrictions imposed on me because of my mother's political career. I was young, and stupid, and he knew exactly the right things to say to make be believe I was hard done by.” Ben felt his mouth twist in bitterness. “He courted me, so to speak, telling me that a life with him would be freedom, that I could travel the galaxy and make endless credits.” Ben stared at the dirty rag in his hands for a moment, before rinsing it out in the bucket. If only his own sins could be cleaned away as easily. 

“It wasn’t until I had run away from my parents and gone onto his ship, that I discovered the truth about his so-called ‘freedom’. I was trapped, forced to learn to kill to protect myself. He threw me into missions with nothing but a blaster and I was expected to keep myself alive.” Taking a deep breath, he looked up and continued cleaning Rey’s face, but couldn’t bring himself to look into her eyes. 

“I wish I could say that I tried to escape, that I swallowed my pride and went home again, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. He had convinced me that I’d burned my bridges, and my family would never accept me again.” He was washing her mouth now, staring at it intently as he softly ran the cloth over those sweet curves. Water ran down Rey’s face, startling Ben for a moment until he realised they were tears. He chanced a look into her eyes, and was shocked to see that they were full, tears spilling over and running down her face. 

“Oh, Ben...” she made no move to touch him, but the compassion he could see in her eyes humbled him. Swallowing hard, he rinsed the cloth once more, and began to wash her neck clean.

“I told myself it was alright, you know? That I was just doing what I had to survive. But there were times when I enjoyed it. The power, the respect, the fear I saw in people’s eyes when they heard my name.” The long column of her throat was before him and he could see her swallowing convulsively. He wondered if it was disgust, if this was what would finally drive her away. Nonetheless he continued washing her, working off the dried blood and dirt and sweat tenderly. 

Rinse, clean. 

“I changed my name so nobody would know I was my father's son. I tried not to think about how ashamed they would be of me, about how they would never take me back because of the things I’d done.” Now he was washing one arm, holding her hand in his while he cleaned in long strokes from shoulder to wrist. Still she wasn’t pulling away from him. 

“Always Snoke was there, like he was in my head - cajoling, threatening, praising, shaming. Every movement I made was dictated by him.” He left her arm, now clean, and began on the other. 

A wound on her upper arm drew his attention - it was shaped strangely, like two forked tongues reaching out to each other. Or... like two hands. He gently moved the clean cloth around it, cleaning every other part of her arm, before moving his attention back to it. 

“Then one day he told me that I had a job, a target to take out. I was to go to a certain spaceport and kill the person he directed me to.” Rey hissed a little, as he carefully dabbed at the wound, wanting to make sure it was clean and wouldn’t become infected. 

“I don’t remember everything that happened. Snoke was there, and then so was my father, and Snoke was telling me that I had to strike him down, and I looked at my father, and he recognised me... and I knew Snoke would kill me if I didn’t complete my mission.” He stood now, cloth hanging from his hands, eyes fixed on the floor. 

“There was a fight, and fire everywhere, and I remember Han dragging me onto the Falcon. The spaceport was burning, and I thought I’d killed him - I thought he’d killed me, too.” His hand came up to brush along the scar that bisected his face. 

Rey’s hands grasped either side of his face, and she gently, but firmly, raised it to meet hers. Ben was afraid of what he would see in her eyes, sure that she would be disgusted with him now that she knew the truth. 

Instead he saw the same compassion he had seen before, her eyes welling, lips trembling. She stroked his face with her fingers, so tenderly, tracing the line of his scar, his lips, before she leaned forward to capture his mouth with her own. 

Ben was so stunned that he simply stood for a moment, taken unawares by the sweet softness of her lips, before he was able to respond by pulling her close. He kissed her with all the pent up fear he had been carrying since she was taken, with all the passion that had been building inside him. Rey responded in kind, still holding his face and kissing him deeply, sweetly. 

When they broke apart for air, Ben leaned his forehead against her, breathing hard. 

“I’m going to get you all dirty again, you know.” 

Rey grinned, her sunshine smile breaking through the somber cloud that had been hanging over him. 

“Then you can always clean me again. Now, I think it’s my turn.”

Hopping off the crate she grabbed the bucket, sloshing the water down the drain and into the recycle unit, before filling it again. She indicated the crate and that he was to sit on it, which he did, suddenly feeling nervous. Rey stood, head tilted to one, side, pretending to look him over. 

“Now, where to begin. Here, I think.” Unexpectedly, she grabbed the bottom of the long sleeved shirt he had been wearing, and pulled it up and over his head. He shivered a little at the sudden exposure to the cold, and looked down. It was true that he had more bloodstains that had soaked through his shirt than he was comfortable with, but he still wasn’t quite sure why...

The cloth, now once again clean and soaked in warm water, began to wash down one shoulder carefully. Rey had a look of deep concentration on her face, as though she was focused on a very important task. Ben thought the way her brow furrowed slightly as she worked was utterly adorable. It was the same way she looked when she was pulling apart a tricky piece of broken engine. 

Ben’s breath left his lungs in a rush when she leaned forward, laying her lips on a star-shaped scar on his left shoulder. She leaned back again as though nothing had happened, and continued to wash his chest and arms. Again, another kiss was placed on a deep, ragged scar that crossed his abdomen. Ben held himself completely still, trembling, his hands holding so tightly to the edge of the crate that his fingers ached. 

The cloth was rinsed again, and yet again she kissed him, this time where a deep slash had almost cut through a muscle on his upper arm. Again and again, each and every scar that was on his body that she could see, she laid a kiss on it, as though a blessing, a benediction. 

Lastly, she began to clean his face. Ben was sweating by now, the effort of holding still almost too much to bear. Tenderly, as gently as he had cleaned her, she smoothed the cloth over his high brow, his cheeks, his nose. As she swept the cloth over his lips, they fell open slightly, Ben panting by now, his eyes closed. Tender kisses were now laid upon the scar that ran from his upper chest, along his neck and onto his face, her lips tracing a line that made his skin burn like fire. 

Once again her hands took his face. 

“Ben,” her whisper was quavering, suggesting she was not perhaps as calm as she appeared to be, “open your eyes.” He did, to find himself staring into hers, those bright, beautiful eyes that crinkled when she smiled and now looked at him so tenderly. 

“He’s gone. He can never hurt you again. You belong to me now. You came for me... you came back for me...” her voice broke, and Ben felt something in his chest snap, a sob breaking from his throat as he buried his face against her chest, his arms going around her as though hanging on for dear life. Great sobs shook him, and he could feel Rey weeping also, as she cradled his head in her arms, stroking his hair and holding him close as he cried. 

Snoke was gone. No more did he need to fear that name, that he would somehow come back and destroy the life Ben had tried to make for himself. Even as he had killed him, Ben had half expected his old master to simply sneer and wipe the blood away, before coming to kill him with bare hands. He had not dared to believe that he was truly dead this time, and that Ben was free from his influence forever. As the sobs abated, replaced by deep, shuddering breaths, he was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. Rey must have felt him slump, as she tightened her grip around him. 

“Ben, when is the last time you slept?” 

“Uh...” he thought about it for a moment. “I’m, uh, not actually sure.” 

“Let’s go find somewhere to rest, okay?” He nodded into her chest, suddenly unwilling to relinquish their closeness, and tightened his grip. 

“Come on, you can show me where to go.” Rey untangled his arms, and, keeping one of hers around his waist, supported him as they left the ‘fresher. He stumbled once or twice, a deep fatigue now clouding his senses, and directed Rey to one of the small crew quarters, which contained a bunk that might just barely contain the two of them. Rey let him down first, pushing him over with a gentle shove, before pulling his boots off. She removed her own shoes, and Ben reached out to grab her arm, tugging her onto the bed. Feeling the haze of sleep begin to close over him already, he had just enough sense to tuck Rey closely into his arms, while pulling a blanket over them both. She sighed, snuggled as close to him as possible, and then he remembered nothing else. 

_____________________________________


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

Emerging from sleep was like swimming to the surface of a deep, dark pool filled with warm water. Ben struggled against it, but only halfheartedly, feeling lethargic and heavy limbed. Eventually he felt himself floating closer and closer to the surface, consciousness and memory returning, as he recalled the events of the day before. Suddenly awareness returned with a rush, and he opened his eyes, not seeing anybody in the narrow bunk except himself. 

“Rey? His voice was harsh, unused. No reply came, and he felt panic curl inside his chest.

“Rey!” This time he yelled her name, and shoved himself into a sitting position so quickly that he cracked his head on the top of the bunk. Pain bloomed on the top of his head, the door hissed open and Rey stood there, clean and dressed in fresh clothing, a tray in her hands. 

“Ben?” She hurried forwards, placing the tray on the ground so quickly that the dishes on it rattled. “What was that banging noise I heard?” Ben was holding the top of his head with both eyes, willing the sharp stinging pain away.

“Nothing.... I uh, just wasn’t sure where you were.” He lied, wincing as he looked at one hand, sure he had drawn blood. He heard Rey snort, then giggle, as she climbed onto his lap, causing a shock to run through his entire body. She pretended to examine the top of his head, running her fingers through his hair in such a way that he groaned, grabbing her wrists to stop her. 

“Rey, you have no idea...” and he raised one hand to her wrist, kissing it with an open mouth, feeling her pulse racing. Gratified to hear her sharp intake of breath, he continued to lay kisses along her arm, the soft inner flesh delightfully tender under his lips. As he trailed them along her arm and onto her shoulder, he was mortified to hear a loud rumbling from his midsection, followed by a feeling of emptiness as he tried to remember when the last time was that he had eaten. 

Rey giggled at the sound, her laughter a bright shower over him. He tried to ignore his offending stomach and continued to lay kisses along the side of Rey’s neck, delighting in the way she began to squirm on top of him. 

She would not be distracted, however, and quickly climbed off his lap, her face full of mischief. 

“Ben, you really do need to eat something.” He grumbled at her words, feeling all kinds of frustrated. Rey knelt in the floor in front of the bunk, and as she began to uncover the different dishes, his mouth watered, and even he had to admit that the hollow feeling in his middle needed to be dealt with. 

“There wasn’t really any fresh food in the galley, but there was at least plenty of preserved and dehydrated bits and pieces,” Rey explained as she went about scooping steaming piles of food onto a plate for him. Handing it up to him with a fork, she grinned once more. Ben wondered if he would ever get over the feeling of joy that her smile kindled in him. He smiled in return, before shovelling the food into his mouth.

It was acceptably seasoned and cooked well, for preserved ship rations, and Ben wondered if Rey had done it all herself. Technically Hux was also an excellent cook, although Ben would have cut his own arm off before admitting it to him. A sudden thought occurred to him.

“Hux! Does he need me to take a shift?” He began to eat faster, determined not to shirk his duties, or his promise to his father to take care of the Falcon. 

“It’s okay, Finn and Hux and I have all taken a shift.” 

“Wait — all of you? How long was I asleep?” Ben tried to do the math, his head still somewhat fuzzy with sleep. 

Rey giggled. “I’d say about a day cycle and a half.” 

His fork clattered onto the plate. “A day and a half? Why didn’t you wake me?” 

“Oh, I tried, you know, but you just looked so sweet and adorable all curled up...” she dissolved into giggles. 

“I’ll give you sweet and adorable, woman,” Ben growled, setting his plate aside and leaning forward, one hand sliding to the back of her neck, the other tangling in her hair. He was gratified to hear her sharp intake of breath right before he claimed her mouth, kissing her so deeply that it began to feel as though he was trying to devour her. Perhaps he was, as his blood seemed now to burst into flames, burning away all the hesitation, the doubt, the holding back. 

Rey gasped as he moved onto her neck, needing to taste the skin there, and the sounds she made as he nuzzled and sucked at the skin there were like music to his ears. It drove him to greater efforts, and he now pulled her completely onto his lap, as she had been before. A hand went underneath her tunic, sliding up her soft skin until it found the swell of a breast. When she threw her head back and made a sound like a loth-cat’s mewl, he couldn’t control himself - his hips bucked upwards against her, causing her to grind down on him in return. 

They were breathless, hands questing, mouths seeking each other, blind to everything else but the pleasure they felt in the other. When Ben boldly slid one hand down inside of her trousers, and let his fingers move along her slippery warmth, her entire body arched, and she whined. He began to work her with his fingers, intending to bring her to the edge without thought for himself. 

A moan was squeezed from his throat when Rey unexpectedly reciprocated, reaching between them and palming the bulge that was trying to tear its way from his trousers. When she began to fumble with the fastenings there, he used his free hand to help her along, not relenting in his own assaults. As he finally sprang free from where he had been restricted, he heard Rey gasp a little, before she wrapped one hand around his aching length, moving it a little, experimentally. 

It was enough to cause him to falter in his attentions to her, his breathing harsh as she squeezed him, moving her hand up and down clumsily. He used his free hand to guide her, help her establish a rhythm, and then he returned his attention to her hot, wet center. His wrist was turned somewhat awkwardly but he refused to slow his pace, head hanging forward, breathing ragged as Rey made him see stars. 

Ben’s free hand, flailing around for something to hold onto, found the back of Rey’s neck and pulled her forward into a blistering kiss, the two of them so breathless that they could barely coordinate their mouths and maintain oxygen. He felt himself nearing the edge, desperate sounds coming from the back of his throat just as he felt Rey shudder and cry out into his mouth.

It was too much, and never enough. Together they leapt from the edge and soared, bodies trembling and jerking uncontrollably, Ben’s twitching cock now spurting his release over them both. Their kisses slowed, breathing evening out, hearts still pounding hard but slowing their pace. After a few moments longer, Ben pulled away from Rey’s mouth, laying tender kisses over every part of her face he could reach. She smiled, her eyes closed, as he lavished affection on her. 

He became aware that she was still gripping him in one fist, and his whole body spasmed when she gave him one last experimental squeeze.

“Ah!” He nearly folded in on himself, still intensely sensitive in the aftermath. 

“Sorry,” although she didn’t sound the least bit contrite. Ben looked up at her face — a dimple was tucked into one corner of her mouth, and she was biting her bottom lip, eyes sparkling. “I’ll just...” and she released him, looking carefully at the thick sticky liquid that now covered her hand. 

Ben laughed somewhat ruefully. “That’s not exactly how I pictured this going. Sorry about the mess,” and he gestured between them. Rey reached behind them and grabbed a napkin that had been on the food tray, and began to tenderly clean the mess off his chest, dabbing at her own clothes and her hand.

“When we get home...” her voice trailed off, halted by the sudden change in Ben’s face. “What’s wrong?” 

“Rey, I don’t know how to tell you this, but when they took you, they went through the house. Pretty much everything was broken and destroyed.” He braced himself, expecting her to perhaps weep or become angry. Instead she simply looked puzzled. 

“Well... I mean that’s a shame, I guess. Wait, did they destroy your books as well?” Now she seemed upset. When he nodded, she reached up to cradle his face with her clean hand. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Ben. I know they were special to you.” Now it was his turn to look puzzled. 

“Aren’t you sad that they destroyed your things?” 

Rey smiled a little, her eyes unreadable for a moment. “Ben, I had pretty much nothing when I came to you. Everything precious to me had been lost at some point or another, stolen, worn away, broken - and then I met you, and you said we belonged to each other.” Now her eyes grew wet, her bottom lip trembling a little. “Then I thought I would lose you forever, and I remembered how much it hurt, to lose the thing that’s most precious to you. I suppose we can ask Rose for some more clothes, and I’ll help you fix furniture and whatever I can but Ben...” the tears spilled over. “If I’d lost you, then I would have really lost my true home. You can’t be replaced.”

Overwhelmed, he could only close the gap between them and kiss her, letting all his emotions be felt, all the love, the devotion, the passion, for his mail order bride that fate had brought to him. Rey returned his kiss with equal fervour, and he was beginning to wonder exactly how the two of them would properly fit on the bunk, when there was a banging at the door. 

“Solo!” Hux’s strident tones cut through the door, causing Ben to groan and pull away. “Well, Solos, anyway. I understand that you’re making up for lost time, blah blah blah, but if you don’t come out here and take a turn at flying this bloody ship home, I’ll get Rose to constrict your next pair of trousers too tight in the crotch!” 

Rey snorted, unable to stop the giggle that burst out from her mouth at this threat. Climbing off Ben’s lap, she dropped the dirty rag into a disposal unit, and reached onto a shelf that contained stacks of neatly folded clothing. The black shirt he had been wearing was now washed and clean, no longer stained with blood and sweat. Rey held it up to him, and he grabbed it, pulling it over his head. Holding it out from his body, he noticed a hole where one hadn’t been before, near his lower abdomen. He couldn’t even remember how it had happened. Rey stuck one finger through it, quizzically. 

“Does this mean I need to learn how to mend?” She wiggled her finger around, tickling it against the muscles of his belly, and he grabbed her hand with a grin. 

“Careful, if you distract me much longer, Hux will probably just invite himself in.” He pulled her down for a quick kiss, then grabbed a bread roll from the tray, taking a huge bite. “Come and co-pilot with me?” She grinned, and, holding hands, they walked out the door together. 

______________________________________________


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

The journey home, not being via Jakku, was mercifully short. Rey and Hux had made the necessary calls home to let everyone know they were safe, so all that was left to do was wait until they dropped out of hyperspace. The time passed pleasantly enough, with Rey getting to know Finn more, as he shared more about his life and how he had come to be working for the first order. Rey found herself enjoying this new friendship, and wondered if Finn would find his purpose on Chandrila. 

Rey and Ben stole kisses and heated touches whenever they could, but it was difficult being in such close quarters with the others. Rey felt a certain reservation about being caught making out in the hallway like a teenager, wishing for somewhere more private. Their earlier encounters had left her aching for more, but if there was anything she was good at, it was waiting. 

In what felt like no time at all, they were breaking atmo to find the beautiful, lush green hills and forests of Chandrila. Rey simply sat in the co-pilot’s seat, her eyes aglow with wonder, and took in the view. Her first arrival here had been in the belly of a freighter with no viewports, and now she was fully able to appreciate the beauty of her real home. Instead of flying to their own farms, they were taking the Falcon to Leia and Han’s property. Rose had already said she could meet them there, and it made the most sense. Finn had nowhere to go, so Leia had extended an invitation to stay with them for the time being, until he got his footing. 

As they were descending into the huge open field that was where the Falcon usually rested when not in use, Rey felt her jaw dropping for a different reason — the house itself was absolutely enormous. Multi-storied and sprawling out over a space that could have contained half a dozen of their little home, the house was grand, impressive, overwhelming. The ramp went down with a hiss and suddenly Rey felt shy in a way she hadn’t felt around the people themselves. Rose, Leia, and Han were waiting at the bottom by the time they disembarked.

Hux strode forward faster than all of them, picked up his wife around her waist, and began to kiss her passionately, intensely, backing her up against a bulkhead and trapping her there. Han and Leia tastefully looked the other way as they walked up the ramp, although Rey could see they were both trying to hide smiles. Leia enfolded Rey in a warm hug, and for a moment she dreamed that it must have been like this for her once, with her own mother. 

She could see out of the corner of her eye, Ben and Han standing somewhat awkwardly next to each other, before Ben reached out and grabbed his father in a rough hug. Han’s arms came up and he returned it with equal pressure, before they both let go abruptly, their eyes suspiciously bright. Leia hooked one arm around her son's waist, squeezing him tightly. She was so short that she fit neatly underneath his arm. 

“I’m so glad you’re home,” was all she could manage, before she had to hide her face against Ben’s chest. 

Finn had been standing back, unsure of how to introduce himself properly, when Han approached him, sticking out a hand for him to shake. 

“Hey kid. You must be Finn. I’m Han.” Finn took his hand, shaking it a bit hesitantly. 

“Wait.... does that mean that you’re Han Solo? THE Han Solo?” Han sighed melodramatically and Rey giggled, remembering her first reaction to meeting him. He clapped Finn on the shoulder.

“Don’t believe everything you hear, Finn. C’mon kids, come into the house. If I remember anything about flying in this thing, it’s that you’ll be wanting a real shower by now.” He strode forward, missing the look that Rey exchanged with Ben. 

Hux and Rose chose to decline the meal that they were offered, wanting instead to get back home. Rose explained that she had called her sister Paige for a visit, who was with the children at that moment. Not able to explain the exact circumstances of Hux’s absence to her sister, Rose had been thankful for the opportunity to see her again, and the children had loved having their favourite aunt visiting, which softened the blow of their father being away. 

“I’m so happy you’re safe, Rey,” Rose had whispered into her ear, hugging her tightly for a few moments. “I hope we were able to be of some help to you and Ben.” She winked rakishly at them both, and, holding Hux’s hand, they made their way to their own speeder. 

The five remaining ate around the biggest table Rey had ever seen. She counted the chairs, and found it could have seated twenty people, easily. The food was rich, sumptuous, and served to them by an older man with kind eyes and a habit of flustering over small details. It was all so far removed from everything that had happened to her recently, that Rey wondered if she was asleep and dreaming, still in that small cell on Snoke’s ship. 

And yet there was Ben, sitting next to her, his arm brushing sometimes against the wound that had all but healed in her arm. She could feel the heat radiating from him and knew that he was very real, and very alive. Despite all the opulence, Han was still dressed in somewhat scruffy clothes, grease stains in certain places that had never washed out. Leia was also dressed simply, although still elegantly, and was completely relaxed with them all. She started to tell Rey and Finn funny stories about Ben as a child over the dessert, and she and Rey were both dissolved in laughter by the time the last course was done. Finn covered his mouth with his hands, not wanting to offend anyone by laughing aloud, but Rey could see his shoulders shaking. Ben sat, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze cast to the ceiling in long suffering. Han sat back in his chair with a smirk, surveying the scene with a contented look in his eyes. 

The meal finished as the sun began its journey down towards the horizon, and Han stood, indicating to Finn that he should do the same. 

“C’mon kid, I’ll show ya where you can stay. Must be tired out from all the excitement.” He ushered Finn out of the room, and Rey gave him a little wave as he left. She was starting to feel the effects of a large meal and the tension that was now leaving her body, after having been on high alert for so long. She leaned her head on Ben’s shoulder and stifled a yawn, as he turned and dropped a quick kiss onto her hair. 

“Now, are you two wanting to stay the night, or head home?” Leia tilted her head to one side, waiting for their response. Rey’s pulse quickened as she considered that they could finally be alone, but Ben shook his head.

“I think we’ll stay here, Mom. They went through and trashed everything when they took Rey. I don’t even think there’s anywhere to sleep.” Leia smiled a strange little conspiratorial smile, her eyes shining.

“I think you’ll find that perhaps a few of us went over and cleaned up as best we could. In fact, I can’t believe I’m saying this after we just got you back, but I think you should head home. The, uh, livestock are really missing you.”

Beside her, Ben frowned. “What are you planning, Mother? I know that face.”

“I am shocked and insulted that you would assume I’ve planned anything. Really.” Rey giggled, as the look on Leia’s face was anything but that. “All I’m saying is you could have a quick shower, real water, and get on your way. Rose even left the two of you new clothing, since there wasn’t much that we could salvage.”

It hurt, just for a moment, remembering the beautiful work that Rose had made for her, and how much Ben had loved her wearing them. Ben squeezed her hand, as though sensing her thoughts, and she smiled at him, remembering her words to him on the Falcon.

“What do you say, Rey? Should we go home or stay?” 

Rey smiled shyly at him. “I think I’d like to go home, if you’re alright with it.” They smiled at each other, decision made. Leia clapped her hands, making them both jump, and stood. 

“Ben, you can get yourself down to your old room. There’s clean clothing waiting in the ‘fresher.” She stood and took Rey by the hand, tucking it into her elbow. “Come with me, dear, I have just the thing for you.” Rey went with her, half laughing and half perplexed, while Ben still sat, his mouth hanging open. 

“Move your backside, son of mine!” Leia called over her shoulder, before starting a brisk walk down a long hallway. 

They stopped at an open door, Leia pulling Rey inside and shutting it behind them. When Leia leant against it for a moment, Rey was shocked to see tears in her eyes. 

“Are you alright? What’s the matter?”

“Rey... I don’t know if I can express this properly, but... I thought I lost my son once. I’d resigned myself to never seeing him again.” She stopped talking for a moment, her mouth pressed into a tight line, chin quivering. A deep breath and she continued. “When he came back to us, and became Ben once more, there was always a part of him that was in shadow. He carried around a weight on his soul that he never quite shed.”

Leia took Rey’s hands, squeezing them, and looked into her eyes. “He’s been different, ever since you came. Something inside him came back to life.” Rey didn’t know what to say, so she squeezed her hands back, biting her bottom lip to try and stop her own tears.

“And now he’s back, and you are too, and you’re both safe and I just...” the tears spilled over. “It feels like more than I deserve, to get my son back twice, and gain a daughter. I’ve done a lot of things in my life I wasn’t proud of. If you don’t believe it, just ask my boys for a blow by blow.” Now she laughed, and Rey couldn't help laughing along with her. 

“Anyway, I’ve probably embarrassed myself enough here.” Leia wiped her eyes, chuckling. When Leia went to hug Rey, she found herself holding on tightly. 

“I... don’t remember my mother.” Rey whispered, unsure why she was telling Leia this. “I think maybe, if she had been like you... that she wouldn’t have left me behind.” Her throat burned and she swallowed back the tears as hard as she could, feeling Leia’s arms tighten around her even more, and her whole body tremble. 

They held each other like this for several minutes, neither speaking. It was Leia who broke away first, wiping her eyes of tears yet again. “Alright, enough of this. I’m sure you don’t need a crabby old lady making you all soggy.” Before she could move away, Rey leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. 

Leia looked pleased and touched her cheek with one hand, before shooing Rey toward the bathroom. “Save those for my boy, alright? When you’re done, there’s clothing here on the bed. Care of the lovely Rose. Come and find us when you’re done.” With that she left the room, closing the door behind her.


	30. Chapter Thirty

The shower was as blissful as Rey remembered. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the luxury of hot, running water, and the feeling of really, truly being clean. When she was pink and glowing all over, most of her wounds healed over and forming scars, she stepped out and began to towel off briskly. Walking into the bedroom, she inspected the pile of richly coloured clothing that was laying on the bed. Unfolding each garment, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of beautiful, intricate embroideries, far more elaborate than any she had seen before. 

There was a long, flowing dress in a deep, rich red that looked as though it would reach the ground when worn. The long sleeves were dripping with elaborate stitching that flowed up and onto the shoulders, weaving around the scooped neckline in a beautiful, flowing geometric pattern. The pattern was repeated all around the hem, and Rey could only stare at the beautiful, jewel-like colours of the threads. 

There were also leggings, made of some soft, stretchy fabric, in a deep blue. Even on these, that would likely be hidden under the dress, there were elaborate designs and patterns. The final garment, a long, sleeveless vest of some fine, sheer material, was almost rainbow hued. It appeared purple, but each way that Rey turned it in the light, a new colour came into view. 

Underneath all this finery was a set of soft, comfortable underclothes. Rey breathed a sigh of relief that they seemed a bit more practical and closer to what she usually preferred to wear. The elaborate clothing confused her. Surely Rose hadn’t meant to leave her anything this fine?

Nevertheless, as she dressed carefully, afraid that she would tear or rip something if she hurried, she realised that it was all made to her exact measurements, fitting perfectly. The dress fell to her ankles, brushing softly against the bare skin of her feet. Rey had a thought and looked on the floor next to the bed. Sure enough, somebody had thought to leave a pair of new shoes, soft leather slippers that were like nothing she’d ever worn before. She was sliding them onto her feet when a gentle knock sounded at the door. 

“Come in?” 

Leia peered around the door, her eyes lighting up when she saw Rey. She too was dressed in some new finery, all subtle greys and silver, her hair braided in a great crown around her head.

“Didn’t Rose outdo herself this time? It’s all perfect.”

“Leia, what is all this for? I don’t understand.” Leia didn’t answer straight away, just indicated that Rey should seat herself on an elegant, padded stool in front of a small table. The table had a mirror on top of it, and various items for grooming were placed around. 

Leia picked up a hairbrush and began to brush the tangles from Rey’s hair. After a few moments she spoke.

“My mother’s name was Padme Amidala. She was very beautiful - at least that’s what I’ve been told by those who knew her best. She was a senator, a politician, rather like myself.” Leia chuckled at this, then continued. “I don’t remember much about her, as she died when I was very young. She and my father... well, it didn’t end well. I was lucky enough to be raised by a wonderful family, on Alderaan.” 

She put down the brush, and began to comb Rey’s hair out with her fingers, nimbly separating it into separate strands and beginning to wind them around each other. As Rey watched in the mirror, a beautiful series of braids began to appear, large and small, that were wound around her head in beautiful patterns and loops. 

“Braids have a special meaning on my home planet. They are always worn by royalty, but common folk may wear them as well. They can represent many things - family lines, affiliations, past history. I always wanted to pass the tradition onto somebody else.” She fiddled around for a few moments, picking up a few pins from the table and placing them at certain points. 

“There! What do you think?” Rey could barely recognise herself. Her face was bright, framed in a halo of braids, the beautiful clothing; all of it was nothing she was used to. 

“It’s so beautiful, Leia. I don’t entirely understand what this is all for, but thank you.” Leia smiled fondly, and reached into her pocket and drew out a small leather bag. 

“Maybe this doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the ensemble, but I want you to have this.” She tipped out what looked like a small piece of carved bone. It was strung on a necklace made of some woven cord, and as Leia held it before Rey, she could see that it was carved into a shape like an hourglass, with lines and symbols on it. It looked very old. 

“This belonged to my mother. It’s the only physical thing I really had of her. It was her lucky charm, or so I was told.” She undid the silver clasp at the back, and fastened it around Rey’s neck. “It’s yours now. I had always hoped to pass it onto a daughter, one way or another. Now, don’t you dare cry,” as Rey’s eyes had filled once again, “and go ruining all my hard work! Not to mention you’ll set me off. Now come on. I’m sure they’re tired of waiting for us.”

Leia gave Rey no chance to question anything, simply hauled her back along the hallway to the large, open dining room that now was ablaze with the golden light of the setting sun. Rey’s breath caught in the back of her throat as she caught sight of Ben, standing before one of the windows. He was dressed almost as elaborately as she was, in a tunic of midnight blue, with a more subdued version of Rose’s embroidery. Dark trousers with black leather boots reaching to his knees, and over it all, a full sleeved robe in a slightly lighter shade of blue. His hair was partially pulled back and fastened, and a thin braid ran along one side of his head. 

He looked just as bewildered as Rey felt, until he caught sight of her. His whole face changed, softened, a sweet smile curving his lips. He walked forward, taking both her hands, and was about to lean down and capture her lips in a kiss when the sound of Han clearing his throat made them both jump. 

“Just hold on, kids. Plenty of time for that.” He and Leia walked over to where they two were standing, and Rey noticed that Han was also dressed more grandly than usual, and looking uncomfortable about it. 

“Now, we know this isn’t really necessary, but since the two of you didn’t invite us to the wedding,” and Leia winked at Rey, to reassure her that there were no hard feelings, “I thought maybe you could indulge us a little. A little ceremony, if you will.” She held up her hands, from which a silken rope dangled. Rey had no idea what this entailed, but trusted Ben’s parents. 

Han took one end of the rope, and Leia the other, as they walked forward to where the two stood, hands joined. They began to weave the cord around Ben and Rey’s hands, tying a series of knots as they went, and ending it with one single knot on top of the others. They laid their hands over the knots, smiling at the younger couple.

“May this cord never be broken, unless you both wish it so. May it bind you together with joy, and hardships, and love. May it serve to remind you that together, you can face all adversity.” They lifted their hands off and now Leia chuckled. 

“I forgot to mention that you have to get out of there by yourselves, without breaking it.” Rey was horrified for a moment, looking down on what seemed an impossible tangle of knots, but Ben only grinned.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to worry about it. Luckily for me one of my mother's favourite games growing up was teaching me how to tie and untie puzzle knots like these.” 

“I’m glad you know what you’re doing, because I have no idea where to start!” Ben indicated a loop beneath their clasped hands, by carefully turning them over. 

“If you can grab that loop in your teeth - yes, I said teeth,” Rey must have looked incredulous at this. “I’ll raise our hands so you can reach it.” He did so, wiggling his thumb free to push at another knot, loosening it. Rey grabbed the cord in her teeth, giggling a little as she started to see the humour in it all.

“Okay, now on the count of three, pull the loop to the left.”

“Wait - your left or mine?”

“Yours. Okay three, two, one, pull!” 

She did, feeling part of the cord around their wrists come away. It was still firmly wrapped in other places, and Ben was her guide through it all, directing which way to pull, what part to slip over which fingers, until the whole thing seemed to come loose in a rush, dropping to the floor.

The moment they were free Ben took her face in his hands, kissing her passionately in a way that made her stomach drop around her knees. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervour. Suddenly realising that Han and Leia were probably horrified at this display, she pulled away, turning to look around the room — only to find it empty. 

They had slipped out, likely while Ben and Rey were distracted with the knot untying, leaving them alone as the last rays of the sun faded from the sky. Ben leant down and gathered the cord, winding it around his hands and putting it in his pocket. His eyes never left Rey, and she shivered at the intensity in them. 

“Well, wife, shall we head home?” Rey nodded, suddenly consumed with the desire to be alone, and in their own space. 

Ben took her hand and led her through the house, to where a ground vehicle was waiting outside. Thankfully it was enclosed, unlike their speeder, since Rey didn’t want to ruin her elaborate hairstyle just yet. 

They drove towards home, Rey certain that she’d never been in a vehicle that moved so fast. It was almost too much, sitting next to Ben, alone together for the first time in forever, wanting nothing more than to kiss him. He seemed to be having similar troubles, his hands gripping the steering with a white-knuckled grip, stealing little glances towards her every few moments, before turning back to focus on driving. 

At long last, they pulled up outside the house. Climbing out of the vehicle, they both stopped and stared for a moment. 

Instead of looking dark and forlorn, as they had both expected, it was lit at every window, warm lights spilling out into the darkness, new lanterns on either side of the front door. They walked towards it, both wondering what had happened, when Ben suddenly swept her up in his arms. Her breath left her lungs in a hurry, and she held on around his neck as he stepped towards the door. 

“Hold on. Uh, I didn’t quite think this through.” Sounding miffed, he lowered Rey gently to the ground once more, and went to open the door first. Rey couldn’t help herself. It was all so ridiculous, she couldn’t help bursting into giggles. When Ben stood before her hands on hips, tapping his foot, she snorted so hard she almost choked, which set her off all over again. She was breathless when he finally spoke. 

“I see how it is. No respect for your husband, is it?” In one swift movement, he picked her up and swung her gently over one shoulder, while she continued giggling, head hanging down. They finally entered the house, Ben kicking the door shut behind them, when he suddenly put her down. 

They both stared about them in surprise. Where they had expected destruction, was beauty. The table was there, mended, smoothly sanded and oiled, new benches and chairs around it. Rey could see pots and pans hanging from the ceiling in the kitchen, and one cupboard stood open to reveal a new set of dishes. There was a beautifully woven rug on the floor, a new couch, and all Ben’s bookshelves, either repaired or replaced. There were only a couple of shelves filled with books, but it was something that could be worked on. 

And on every surface, in more colours than Rey had ever dreamed and filling the air with a sweet, heady fragrance, were flowers. Jars, jugs, vases, bottles, pots; no vessel was left unfilled with glorious blooms, most of which Rey didn’t recognise. They turned around, taking it all in. Ben walked over to the table, picking up a small piece of paper that lay on its surface. 

“It... it was mom and dad, Rose, Lando, Uncle Chewie... they did it all for us.” Ben gathered Rey to himself, holding her closely against his chest, and Rey could feel his whole body trembling. After a moment he pulled her towards the bedroom, and they opened the door to find it was also filled with flowers, and lit with a warm, dim light. Soft, fluffy covers adorned the bed, looking inviting and warm. 

“Okay, hold on,” Ben muttered, “third time lucky.” This time when he swept Rey up in his arms, he kissed her deeply while they crossed the threshold together. 

______________________________________________


	31. Chapter Thirty One

Kissing Rey was like heaven. Kissing her knowing that they were finally safe, and together, and alone, was the ultimate bliss. He carried her into their bedroom, not even bothering to close the door, and placed her on the bed, breaking the kiss to sink down on his knees in front of her. In the dim light he could see that her eyes were dark with wanting, and a sweet red flush was staining her cheeks. He schooled his breathing, forcing himself to remain calm. 

Slowly, excruciatingly, he slid one hand down her leg, sliding the shoe off her foot. Her whole body spasmed a bit when his fingers ran over her soles and he stored that information away for another time. He repeated the action with the other foot, tossing both shoes into a corner. 

Now his hands slid their way up both legs, swinging for a moment towards her inner thighs, which caused her to inhale sharply, before veering off to rest on her hips. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of her leggings, and asked the question with his eyes. She nodded, shifting her hips to allow the fabric to slide down as he pulled them off her legs. 

This garment too, was discarded on the floor, and Ben immediately moved his attention to her bare legs. They were strong, and shapely, and seemed to go on for miles. He laid kisses starting on one foot, all the way up to just above her knee. He didn’t miss the way her legs started shaking the closer he got to the top of her thighs, and grinned mischievously before making his way back down the other leg. 

Getting up on his knees now, he pushed the long vest from her shoulders, letting it fall onto the bed behind her. He grabbed the hem of the dress that was gathered on Rey’s lap, waiting again for her nod which now seemed a bit frantic, before he lifted it slowly up, dragging it the sensation of the smooth fabric sliding over her ribs, breasts, arms. Gooseflesh erupted all over her body, and Ben felt a sense of triumph at the sight. He lifted it over her head and pulled it out from underneath her, dropping it behind himself. 

She sat, her braids somewhat dishevelled, clothed only in her undergarments, chest heaving with each breath. A new idea occurred to him and he stood, climbing onto the bed and sitting behind Rey. She turned to look at him, confused. 

“Shh. Eyes front,” she was about to protest when he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her exposed neck which caused her eyes to slide shut. With careful, practiced hands, he began to remove pins from her hair, allowing the braids to fall loose. Every few moments he punctuated his actions with a kiss on Rey’s neck, or shoulders. He loosened each braid, Rey’s hair now falling in soft waves that she didn’t usually have, allowing it to fall onto her back. By the time he loosened the final braid, and ran his fingers through her hair gently, he could tell Rey was panting, her shoulders rising and falling quickly. 

His legs on either side of her, he slid forward as much as he could, pressing his body against every curve of her back, knowing she could feel the extent of his desire for her, even through all the layers of clothing he still wore. 

As though it had only just occurred to him, he shrugged off the robe he still wore, loosening the ties on the tunic also. These tossed aside, they were now mostly skin on skin, and he couldn’t resist reaching around and cradling both sweet breasts in his hands, her flesh hot even through fabric of her remaining underclothes. Rey leaned her head back on his shoulder, her hips moving involuntarily as he teased and stroked her nipples, feeling them harden under his fingers. 

Needing more, and knowing she did too, he climbed back around her and onto the floor, not before he undid the clasp of her undergarment and pulled it down her arms. Back on the floor, and looking into his wife’s eyes, both of them hazy with lust, he now hooked his fingers into the waistband of her underwear. Instead of nodding she lifted her hips from the bed, allowing him to pull the last offending garment down her legs. 

Now she was bare before him, completely and utterly, and his eyes travelled leisurely over every inch of her. His casual demeanour belied the discomfort he was feeling, his arousal now verging on painful, but he ignored it, shifting a little to try and relieve some of the pressure. All that mattered now was Rey, and how he could bring her pleasure. 

As his eyes reached her lower belly, his own breathing increased as they dipped lower, the sweetness of her womanhood exposed to him for the first time. She was pink, and flushed, and he could see even in the dim light that she was wet, dampness beginning to spread ever so slightly on the covers beneath her.

Unable to resist, he dipped his head forwards, tongue darting out to taste her sweetness. Rey cried out, and grabbed at his head, fingers twining around his hair. He held her steady with his hands on her hips and then resumed his actions, tongue running long, slow strokes along her folds. 

She shook, and mewled, and writhed above him, and it was only through supreme concentration on his task that he didn’t immediately come in his trousers. He let go of one hip to bring his hand between her legs, fingers nudging at her opening. When no protest was forthcoming, and in fact she seemed to be pushing herself onto him, he gently slid one finger inside, feeling the wet heat surround it immediately. He continued to work with his mouth, gently dragging his finger in and out, as Rey panted above him. 

A second finger joined the first, moving slowly, and Ben felt no resistance from her. She was moaning now, in short bursts, as he began to focus his attention solely on the little bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He continued to pump the two fingers in and out, as he felt her grow nearer her peak. When she came apart, with the most lovely sound he had ever heard falling from her mouth, she let go of his hair and allowed herself to fall backwards. He continued to work her down from her high, slowing his movements until she was still. Sliding his fingers from her gently, he placed one final kiss, making her whole body spasm once more, and stood. 

Boots had never been kicked off so quickly in his life. His belt caused him a bit of grief, until his fumbling fingers managed to open the buckle, the rest falling away as fast as he could shed it. Pants, underwear, socks, all dropped to the floor. A part of his brain that was apparently observing, noted that Rose would likely murder them both for this abuse of her garments. 

Ben lifted Rey’s legs onto the bed and then climbed on, lowering himself on top of her and capturing her mouth with his own. She kissed him back without hesitation, and Ben wondered if she tasted herself on his mouth. His hips moving, he dragged his arousal slowly, torturously along her soaking center, causing her entire body to arch up beneath him. Back and forth he moved, until he was thoroughly soaked and Rey was canting her hips towards him with each stroke. 

“Ben, Ben, I need... something,” her head was tossing from side to side, eyes closed, and he couldn’t help himself — he latched onto the side of her neck, sucking the skin there with such force that he knew it would leave a bruise. He shifted his hips, bringing his hard, aching length between them, and Rey let her thighs fall even further apart in response.

“Rey, is this... is this,” Rey reached up to grab his head, yanking it around to face her. 

“Benjamin Solo, if you ask me if this is okay one more time, I swear...” what she would have said was cut off as Ben gently thrust his hips, the tip nudging inside her entrance. She let go of his head and instead reached around to his back nails digging in, rolling her hips against him as though to force him further in. When he was sure she was alright, he moved in further, feeling the sweetness of soft flesh giving way before him, as he struggled not to simply thrust all the way home. 

They sank into bliss together, Ben rocking into her gently at first then with increasing speed, as Rey arched her body to meet him. Everywhere their skin touched was on fire, and sweat beaded on both their foreheads. When he felt himself nearing the edge, his breathing ragged and broken, he reached between them, finding again the sensitive bud and working it with his fingers, needing to bring her there again with him. 

He was starting to lose control, when he heard her wail, and felt her clenching around him. With a cry of ecstasy he was able to fully let go, feeling the sweet bliss of her body beneath him as he emptied himself inside her. 

They lay together, neither making a move, although Ben knew he must be heavy on her. Rolling carefully to one side, not wanting to separate them just yet, he grabbed the blanket and lifted it up and over the two of them. Rey snuggled down against him, her legs still wrapped around his hips, his softening length still inside her. 

“Rey, thank you,” he whispered and she smiled, sleepily, and kissed him. Their kisses were slow, and soft, and became fewer and fewer as they both slid further and further towards sleep, shifting, settling, wrapped in each other, finally home. 

______________________________________

Epilogue

Sweat stood out on Rey’s forehead, as an immense pressure bore down on her abdomen. She was tired, so tired, she had been doing this for all eternity, there was no end to it, she would die like this...

Her head lolled to one side, as she tried her best to focus on just breathing. A cup of something cool and refreshing was held to her lips, and she drank greedily, feeling as well the summers pressing heat all around her. She could feel another wave coming, this one more intense than the last, and a new sensation, a burning, a stretching. It took her over and she groaned, low and long, feeling the vibration in the back of her throat. 

“Rey, sweetheart, reach down and feel your baby’s head.” Leia’s voice was triumphant, and verging on tears. Rose, who was supporting her right arm, let go so Rey could reach a trembling hand down between her legs, feel the smooth and slippery surface, the hair. Ben was supporting her left as she squatted, and she could feel him raining kisses on her shoulder, his low murmuring voice a reassurance in her ear.

Another wave, this one sweeping her along with a force more powerful than any she had ever felt - a primal urge, the planet itself lending her strength and its gravity to help move her baby down and out in a sudden rush of fluid. Rose and Ben immediately let go of her arms, although they still supported her shaking body as she reached down, the haze of exhaustion and pain lifting almost immediately, and gently grasped her baby daughter, picking her up and immediately holding her close. 

Leia whisked away the blanket that had been beneath her and replaced it with fresh towels, passing Ben another blanket to cover mother and child with. Her eyes met those of her son as she did, and they found each other radiant, tears pouring down both their faces, as they shared this joy. 

A sudden wail, as the newest human in the room found her voice at last, and Ben immediately swung the blanket around them both, touching the black fuzz on his newborn daughters head. His hands trembled as he did, and he found himself trying to clear the tears from his eyes so he could see properly. 

Rey looked up at him, her eyes aglow, the most radiant smile Ben had ever seen in her face. 

“We did it, we did it, Ben! She’s here! She’s finally here!” The baby’s wail was suddenly cut off as she found her way to her mothers breast, and the look on Rey’s face was ecstatic. Then a sudden panic, as she felt another surge of the pain that she thought had passed. 

In a rush, the afterbirth was born, and Rey felt a sense of relief, of completion. Leia carefully examined it, then when she was satisfied that it was in one piece, checked the umbilical cord. The link between Rey and her baby had slowed its pulse, all life giving blood making its way to the newborn, where it would help her thrive. When it was limp and white, Rey lifted the baby off her chest for a moment, holding her out to Leia. 

As they had agreed, Ben was to cut the cord. Leia clamped it, then handed the cutters to Ben, who hesitated, not wanting to hurt his daughter. 

“It’s fine, Ben, go ahead.” Rey smiled, loving him even more for his care and concern. Hesitantly, he cut through it, feeling as though he was breaking some sacred bond between mother and child while knowing it had to be done. Leia immediately bundled up the placenta and handed it to Rose, who in turn passed it to the waiting medical droid, for it to inspect for any unseen defects.

Between the three of them they got Rey and the baby, who had begun to feed again, up and onto their bed, which was padded with many layers underneath and warm blankets on top. 

Rose kissed her forehead, “You did amazing.” and bustled out of the bedroom to get food, leaving the new family alone. Ben had climbed onto the other side of the bed and was sitting next to Rey, stroking his new daughters head and staring at her with a besotted look in his eyes. Leia, sitting in a chair next to the bed, looked at them both, feeling a soft warmth blooming in her chest. 

After a few quiet moments, when it seemed the baby had finished her first meal, and was beginning to doze off on her mother’s chest, Rey turned to look at Leia. There were no words to express the depth of love between the two women, as real as any mother and daughter could feel for each other. 

“We want to call her Padme.” Rey whispered, not entirely trusting her voice. Leia’s eyes spilled over, and she could only nod, moved at the gesture. 

____________________________

Later, when Rey had eaten, dressed in loose and comfortable clothing, baby Padme had been dressed and was now cradled in her fathers arms, Rey drifted. She was in a warm haze, the rush of birth now replaced with a relaxed, tired, but satisfied state. Ben’s face as he gazed at his infant daughter was a mixture of wonder and delight. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift on those soft clouds, and listened to him sing softly beside her.

“Mirrorbright, shines the moon, its glow as soft as an ember  
When the moon is mirrorbright, take this time to remember  
Those you have loved but are gone  
Those who kept you so safe and warm  
The mirrorbright moon lets you see  
Those who have ceased to be  
Mirrorbright shines the moon, as fires die to their embers  
Those you loved are with you still—  
The moon will help you remember...”


End file.
